What I witnessed while watching the $44 million Liverpool transfer “target” in Milan truly shocked me.

I flew to Italy on Sunday to watch Éderson, a player who is reported to be a target for Liverpool, play against AC Milan at the San Siro. Here’s what I learned while there.

To see Éderson, the midfielder for Atalanta, play at the San Siro on Sunday, I drove more than 700 kilometres to Milan. Clubs throughout European football are showing interest in the Brazilian great, who is having the best season of his professional career.

The 24-year-old signed a $7 million (£5.5 million/€6.5 million) contract to join Salernitana from Corinthians and made his maiden trip to Italy in 2022. Éderson is now worth nearly seven times as much as he was four seasons ago, having already scored more goals in 2023–24 than he has in the previous four combined.

Liverpool has now expressed interest in the youngster, joining the likes of Manchester United, Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur, and Arsenal, according to Italian publication Gazzetta. which, considering his abilities, is hardly surprising.

On Sunday night, the match between third-place AC Milan and Atalanta—who are only two spots below Stefano Pioli’s team in the Serie A standings—was sure to be a good one. Most players would be overwhelmed by the atmosphere, which included flares going off, helicopters circling, and Éderson’s away supporters hidden away in the upper tier of the 98-year-old stadium.

A rapid-fire The pressure mounted on the Atalanta starting lineup, which featured Éderson in his usual double pivot role alongside captain Marten de Roon, after a goal from Rafael Leão in just the third minute of play. What transpired during the game, though, shocked me.

Éderson and his colleagues had to watch helplessly as the home team controlled the majority of the possession, which came to 68% for the night. It was a tough encounter for them. Even though the Brazilian’s offensive options were limited, he provided a steady shield for his defence when players like Christian Pulisic, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, and Leão tried to extend the lead. Éderson engaged in good combat the entire game, winning four tackles and six successful ground duels.

His calmness on the ball and awareness of people around him provided a moment of relief for his teammates when he wasn’t disrupting play and annoying the Milan players. Throughout the evening, he completed 21 of his 25 passes, including a perfect score on long balls.

Afterwards, he would recover the ball in his third of the pitch and then effectively use his body to draw fouls from the opposition. That released his squad from the constant pressure they were under during the game.

Although it wasn’t a classic game by any means, it was evident that he was talented. Éderson is a smart midfield player who, when at his best, can threaten an attack by dribbling into the penalty area. He would also provide Liverpool with defensive reinforcement in the middle of the pitch.

According to current rumours, the asking price is approximately $44 million (£35 million/€40 million), which is acceptable considering the present global football market for midfielders. After speaking with Sky Sports on Éderson’s style of play, the player’s former boss Tiago Nunes has also predicted that he will flourish in the Premier League. He stated, “He has two main strengths.”

“To begin with, he possesses exceptional physical strength on the field, enabling him to play back and forth and from box to box while maintaining the game’s pace. Second, he is extremely self-aware and has a strong sense of what he wants.

“He is physically and mentally capable of managing the tempo of the game [in England].” He has a lot of pace in the last third of the pitch and is a very vertical player. This is a player with extremely specific qualities who has room to grow in a competition like the Premier competition.”

According to Liverpool.com, Éderson has started 23 of his 24 games for the Italian team this year; during this period, the squad has mostly used a 3-4-1-2 or 3-4-3 formation. Jürgen Klopp’s departure from Anfield at the end of the current campaign means that the Reds may give Éderson a look if the new manager decides to deviate from the standard 4-3-3 formation.