Manchester United's well-documented struggles last season led to the nadir of INEOS' short ownership period. Of course, they haven't been there all that long, and there's hope yet that Ruben Amorim can turn things around.

But supporters have been left chagrined by their club's slump, finishing 15th in the Premier League and failing to grasp a lifeline after losing to Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League final, thus losing the key to next year's Champions League.

With Matheus Cunha signed and Brentford's Bryan Mbeumo edging closer to a move to Old Trafford, it's clear that the Red Devils want to rewrite their offensive script. Rasmus Hojlund, however, may well stay put.

But the frontline isn't the only area United need to improve on. Indeed, the midfield also requires a brush-up.

Man Utd looking for midfield upgrade

Christian Eriksen left Manchester United at the end of his contract last month. The ageing Dane needed to go, but it has thinned out the central options all the same.

Well, Director of Football Jason Wilcox is trying to fix that. After reports that United have entered negotiations with Juventus for Douglas Luiz, Fabrizio Romano has elusively revealed an unnamed Premier League outfit has made an approach.

However, United are also looking at another Serie A star who might be an even better fit.

Indeed, as per GOAL, the English club are set to rival Inter Milan and AC Milan for Atalanta's Ederson, with the suitors all making official enquiries and beginning contacts with the midfielder's entourage.

Ederson, 26, is a talented player, having attracted interest from Premier League heavyweights last year. Valued at €60m (£51m), he would mark a steep outlay, but one which may well be worth it for a Man United side scrambling to return to the big time.

What Ederson would bring to Man United

Blessed with that distinctive blend of rugged Brazilian combativeness and artful flair, Ederson is a well-rounded midfielder, having gone from strength to strength over a number of years with Atalanta, making 139 appearances in total.

United already have a tough-tackling defensive midfielder in Manuel Ugarte, but Ederson would add competition while serving as more of an eight when called upon too.

In fact, his silky passing and focused defensive efforts make him United's answer to Martin Zubimendi, who has just signed for Arsenal in a deal worth £51m.

Zubimendi is a Spanish maestro with a steely way about him, and if Amorim wants to close the gap on his rivals, he will indeed need to respond emphatically.

Perhaps Zubimendi is a little more active in the tackle, but Ederson has demonstrated over the past year an aptitude for roundedness, bringing it all together in a way which would only enrich the level of the Theatre of Dreams.

And anyway, Italian content creator Damiano Coccia has even claimed that Ederson is "the strongest defensive midfielder in the world", which is high praise indeed.

A strong tackler he may be, but Ederson is so much more. The physical player has been praised by Fabio Capello in the past for his completeness: "He is out of this world for his ability to combine running, physicality, technique and intelligence".

The plaudits are all over the place - just like Ederson. Scout Antonio Mango has remarked that the South American is "just everywhere when he plays".

Evidence of this can be found in his ground-covering ability, having ranked among the top 7% of positional peers in the Italian top flight for ball recoveries per 90, as per FBref.

Change is afoot in Manchester this summer, and this is exactly the kind of signing that is needed to put the issues of recent years in the past and start making sustained headway back to the top level of English and European football.