Tottenham source shuts down transfer talk of Manchester City star making North London move | OneFootball

Talk surrounding Manchester City’s James McAtee has taken a fresh turn as one source has rejected the possibility of the England Under-21 star moving to North London.

Speculation has grown in recent weeks around the future of McAtee, with City open to a permanent sale of the attacking midfielder amid significant interest from clubs across Europe and the Premier League.

While the player is considered to have enormous potential, those within the Etihad Stadium hierarchy view a transfer away this summer as the most realistic next step in his development, with game time likely to be limited in Pep Guardiola’s existing set-up.

McAtee is likely to be the subject of offers that include clauses to protect City’s interests – namely buy-back options or sizeable sell-on percentages – and the club are also likely to seek a fee in excess of £40 million to part ways with the 22-year-old.

Interest from clubs in Germany has been present since the early weeks of the window, while Premier League sides including Nottingham Forest and Everton have also monitored the situation.

The Manchester City academy graduate spent two seasons on loan at Sheffield United in the Championship and Premier League, helping guide the team to automatic promotion in the former before returning into Pep Guardiola’s squad for last season.

Now, when asked whether there was any interest from Tottenham Hotspur in Manchester City’s James McAtee for the No.10 role in North London, reporter Paul O’Keefe rejected that as a possibility.

The development rules out one of the most widely speculated destinations for the player, amid ongoing attempts from Manchester City to find a suitable buyer that will guarantee regular first-team football and offer favourable financial terms to the Premier League giants.

Spurs had previously been linked with creative midfield reinforcements and were loosely associated with McAtee in early summer gossip columns, but that route now appears to be firmly off the table.

With Tottenham’s name dismissed from the equation, attention may now turn to clubs in the Bundesliga, with McAtee known to be admired by multiple sporting directors in Germany. Nottingham Forest also remain one to watch, having had an opening £25 million bid rejected.

City, for their part, will be keen to wrap up a resolution soon, as they continue to streamline their squad ahead of a new campaign that will again see Pep Guardiola balance Premier League and UEFA Champions League demands. McAtee’s preference remains unknown at this stage, but a decision on his next move may not be far off.