Last February, Manchester United went unbeaten for the entire month, winning six of their eight matches.
Erik ten Hag will be desperate to replicate that form this time around to help boost United's chances of a Champions League spot.
A new addition may help the boss achieve that aim, with a midfielder targeted by the Red Devils.
Man United are looking at a new midfielder
According to Goal Brasil via TEAMtalk, Man United have opened talks to sign Ederson from Atalanta.
However, they won't have a free run at the Brazilian, with Liverpool and Newcastle also interested.
It is rumoured that a fee of around £34m would be considered by the Italian club, with a move potentially in the pipeline for the summer.
United have made initial enquiries with a transfer allegedly being driven by Sir Jim Ratcliffe who is keen to see a new defender, midfielder and striker arrive in the next window.
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ByLuke RandallFeb 1, 2024 How Ederson could benefit Bruno Fernandes
Since moving to United in January of the 2019/20 Premier League season, Bruno Fernandes has cemented himself among the best in England.
The former Sporting star hit eight goals and seven assists in his first 14 league matches, and the following season he scored 18 while also providing 12.
However, he has failed to mirror that goal-scoring form over the last couple of seasons, scoring eight last season and only reaching three this Premier League campaign so far.
That said, the potential signing of Ederson could allow the United captain to once again flourish. The 24-year-old has been instrumental at the heart of the Atalanta midfield, playing 21 matches in the Serie A, while also scoring five goals, which proves that he's a "versatile" midfielder, as dubbed by South American football expert Tim Vickery.
Nevertheless, the table below shows the midfielder's Serie A stats from this season and how he compares to his positional peers.
Tackles won
1.85
Top 9%
Dribblers tackled
1.59
Top 7%
Interceptions
1.44
Top 12%
Passes into final third
5.96
Top 13%
Progressive passes
6.67
Top 9%
Touches (Def 3rd)
15.20
Top 20%
As you can see, Ederson is an extremely dominant midfielder out of possession, which is the first aspect that could supercharge Fernandes.
The former Salernitana star is a tenacious tackler who can prevent counterattacks with his ability to cover ground, read the game, and stop dribblers. This is a role that Fred took on during his time at United, which relieved the number eight of some defensive duties, therefore allowing him to find spaces to hurt teams when possession is overturned.
Ederson could further benefit the 29-year-old from an in-possession perspective. The Atalanta engine is a technical player, one who's comfortable controlling the game, which would allow United to be in a settled attacking shape more often.
The fact that the midfielder can progress play with ease – ranking in the top 9% of midfielders in Serie A for progressive passes – means that Fernandes could operate much higher up the field where he can use his goal-scoring and creating traits to their full potential, unlike currently when he is forced to drop deeper to get on the ball.
It is clear that from every standpoint, Ederson would help Fernandes become much more deadly in the final third, where he is at his very best. It would also help ease United's attacking woes, as they've only scored 24 goals in 21 Premier League games this season.
