Who is Ederson? The Conor Gallagher alternative Tottenham could target

 

Following Tottenham's entertaining 3-2 win over Brentford on Wednesday, midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg confirmed that he'll be staying at the club for the remainder of the season. It's no secret that the Dane had been made available for transfer, but while the likes of Atletico Madrid, Juventus and Napoli all registered an interest in Hojbjerg, none made the move for the former Southampton man. 

 

By staying at Spurs, it meant the north London side failed to bring in a new central midfielder to kick off the New Year. That's not to say Spurs had a poor window. Timo Werner and Radu Dragusin joined to bolster the attack and defence. Talented Swedish midfielder Lucas Bergvall is also set to join. Pape Sarr is back following his participation at the Africa Cup of Nations, while Yves Bissouma won't be absent for much longer. Factor in the availability of Rodrigo Bentancur, Oliver Skipp and Hojbjerg, and the midfield is well stocked to see out the campaign, injuries and suspensions permitting of course. 

 

That said, Spurs are likely to really make their move for another central midfielder at the end of the season. Conor Gallagher will be the number one target, though Chelsea will do all they can to rebuff any efforts to sell to a rival. The England international has just 18 months left to run on his current deal at Stamford Bridge and while Blues boss Mauricio Pochettino is keen to keep Gallagher at Stamford Bridge, some at the club are looking to offload the midfielder to help balance the books. 

 

While Gallagher is the best fit for the role under Ange Postecoglou, the 23-year-old isn't the only central midfielder Spurs could target in the off-season. Ederson is another linked with a move to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and for good reason. The Brazilian has excelled for Atalanta in Serie A this season, with a WhoScored rating of 7.11 better than any other player for the Italian side. 

 

After a so-so debut campaign Gian Piero Gasperini's side, the 24-year-old has really come into his own in the Atalanta midfield and his performances under the 66-year-old haven't gone unnoticed. Ederson is believed to be on a number of Premier League club's radar but with Postecoglou looking to add a number 8 who can also deputise for James Maddison if needs must, then the former Salernitana man is a good fit. Perhaps not of the level of Gallagher but a solid second option, that goes without saying. 

 

 

Having scored just once in his debut campaign for Atalanta, Ederson has struck five times in Serie A this season. Even playing the position he does for La Dea these goals have all come from inside the box. He makes the lung-busting runs to find space in the penalty area, with this late surges an alternative route to goal that has been exploited by Atalanta on more than one occasion. 

 

In addition to providing an additional goal threat from deep, Ederson's hard work off the ball lends credence to the argument that he's the ideal all-rounder that Postecoglou craves. Indeed, only Morten Frendrup (79) and Atalanta teammate Marten de Roon (56) have made more tackles than Ederson (54) in Serie A this season, while the Brazilian also ranks 11th for possession won in the midfield third (60) in Italy's top tier. 

 

In this high-pressing, hard working Spurs side, Ederson would prove a smart acquisition. That's not to say Ederson is the perfect central midfielder by any stretch, with his work on the ball in need of refinement. An 83.8% pass success rate is relatively low for a player in his position though in turn this could be due to Atalanta looking to transition from defence to attack quickly, with a return of 2.5 accurate long balls per game ranking second to De Roon (4.4) of outfield players for Atalanta. 

 

There is the experience that comes with operating as a ball-carrier in a three-man midfield with Salernitana to playing a more attacking role with Atalanta that has helped thrust Ederson into the limelight. It's no wonder Spurs have been credited with an interest in the Atalanta midfielder as a viable alternative to Gallagher. 

 

With Spurs enjoying an impressive winter window having beaten Manchester United to Werner, Bayern to Dragusin and now Barcelona to wonderkid Bergvall, they'll feel confident of staving off interest in Ederson from rivals should they view the Atalanta star as a target in the summer. He could prove a superb fit for Postcoglou's side in the three-man midfield.

Who is Ederson? The Conor Gallagher alternative Tottenham could target