When Manchester United agreed a £35m fee for Brazilian midfielder Ederson on 2 June, the deal looked all but done. But weeks later, the transfer collapsed — not because of haggling over wages or a last-minute rival bid, but because of a problem uncovered during a medical. An area of concern flagged in initial tests led to specialist assessments, and ultimately United backed out. Ederson instead signed a contract extension with Atalanta. This is the hidden drama of football transfer medicals, where a deal can be derailed by a single scan.
A transfer medical is a routine physical examination that a buying club arranges before completing the signing of a player. The process can include blood tests, heart and lung checks, joint and muscle assessments, and sometimes advanced imaging like MRI scans. The goal is to identify any pre-existing injuries, underlying health conditions, or long-term risks that could affect the player's future performance or cost the club in wages and treatment. In Ederson's case, the initial tests in the United States flagged an area of concern, leading to further investigation in England involving specialists. The outcome led United to pull out.
“Explains why football transfer medicals can make or break deals, with examples from Ederson's failed Man Utd move and Morgan Rogers' Chelsea medical.”
The practice became standard in the 1990s as transfer fees and wages skyrocketed. Clubs now treat medicals as due diligence — a way to protect multi-million-pound investments. Issues commonly uncovered include old knee or ankle injuries that haven't fully healed, heart abnormalities (such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy), or chronic back problems. If a medical reveals a problem, the club may either withdraw from the deal entirely, renegotiate a lower fee, or demand clauses that protect them if the condition worsens. For example, a club might ask for a clause that reduces the fee if the player misses a certain number of games due to the identified issue.
For UK fans, medical failures are more common than you might think. In 2023, Manchester United themselves lost a deal for a player after a medical — though the sources don't name the player. More recently, Chelsea are set to sign Aston Villa winger Morgan Rogers for a staggering £117m, but he must first undergo a medical. As his transfer is one of the biggest of the summer, that examination will be scrutinised by both clubs and fans. A failed medical can also open the door for other clubs: after United pulled out of the Ederson deal, it was reported that the deal could be revived later on different terms. So medicals don't just kill deals — they reshape them.
Q: What actually happens during a football medical? A medical is a series of tests performed by club doctors. It typically includes cardiovascular screening (ECG, echocardiogram), musculoskeletal examination (range of motion, strength tests), blood tests for underlying conditions, and sometimes a stress test. For players with known injuries, MRI scans might be ordered. The whole process can take a day or two, and the results are shared with the club's medical team and board.
Q: Can a player still be signed if they fail a medical? Yes, if the club decides the risk is acceptable or renegotiates terms. For example, a club might lower the transfer fee or include a wage reduction clause if the player misses games due to the issue. The deal isn't automatically dead — it's a negotiation starting point.
Q: Why do clubs announce a deal before the medical is done? Agreeing a fee and personal terms with the player is usually done before the medical, but the transfer is never final until the medical is passed. Clubs announce agreements in principle to build excitement and put pressure on other parties, but they typically include a "subject to medical" clause. The Ederson case shows that even advanced stages — a fee agreed, a medical scheduled — can fall apart.
What happens next? Morgan Rogers is expected to undergo a medical at Chelsea after playing for England. If all goes well, his £117m move will go through. But as Ederson's experience shows, nothing is certain until the tests are done. Meanwhile, Manchester United have already moved on, signing midfielders Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos — both of whom presumably passed their medicals.