James McAtee closes in on Manchester City exit decision with three clubs ruled out | OneFootball

Manchester City’s James McAtee has ruled out a potential transfer to three clubs this summer as the midfielder closes in on his permanent exit from the Etihad Stadium.

The 22-year-old academy graduate has been weighing up options for several weeks, having accepted that regular first-team opportunities at Manchester City may remain limited heading into the new season.

McAtee enjoyed successive loan spells at Sheffield United and continues to attract widespread interest both in England and overseas, with suitors viewing him as one of the most technically gifted young midfielders available on the market this summer.

While City are open to McAtee’s exit, club officials are expected to insist on favourable terms in any permanent deal, including either a buy-back clause or first refusal embedded into a contractual agreement.

The Premier League giants continue to value the midfielder highly and still believe in his long-term potential, but competition in central areas has only intensified following the arrivals of Tijjani Reijnders and Rayan Cherki this summer.

James McAtee’s situation is developing in parallel with broader squad decisions being made by sporting director Hugo Viana. City are actively streamlining their midfield group following four senior arrivals, with Kalvin Phillips and Jack Grealish also expected to leave, and uncertainty surrounding both Ilkay Gündogan and Nico Gonzalez.

Now, according to the information of Sky Sports News’ Ben Ransom and Amar Mehta, Manchester City’s James McAtee has rejected the possibility of a move abroad this summer amid interest from clubs in both Germany and Italy.

It is claimed that the Manchester City midfielder – who recently captained England’s Under-21 side to European Championship glory – prefers to stay in the Premier League despite making a recent visit onto the continent.

Among the clubs to have shown interest in McAtee this summer were Eintracht Frankfurt, Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen of the Bundesliga, while the report also indicates that the midfielder had fielded admirers from Serie A, too.

McAtee’s decision to rule out a move abroad significantly narrows his list of potential destinations. Clubs in the Premier League have already begun circling, with Nottingham Forest, Everton, and West Ham United among his most serious admirers.

The player has grown in both confidence and quality and is now targeting a top-flight platform to continue his development, ideally at a club with a progressive footballing philosophy and a clear pathway into the starting eleven.

Manchester City are expected to give the player and his camp the freedom to choose his next club, provided their conditions around a valuation and potentially favourable future clauses are met. But with just weeks until the start of the new season, a final decision could be made soon, and talks with multiple Premier League clubs are already underway.

While McAtee’s time at the Etihad Stadium may soon come to an end, Manchester City are likely to view the midfielder as one to watch in the long term and should he shine elsewhere in the top-flight, a future return remains firmly on the cards.