James McAtee ‘very open’ to Manchester City exit for German giants – ‘Concrete talks’ ongoing | OneFootball

Manchester City appear to be moving closer towards losing another of their Academy system’s most highly-rated graduates in recent seasons, according to a new report.

That concerns James McAtee and any exit for the Salford-born talent in the upcoming summer transfer window would continue a trend seen across previous markets where some of the finest profiles have moved on from the Etihad Stadium in search of increased opportunities.

From the perspective of City, they will be pleased to see young players attracting interest from some of Europe’s best, and providing proposals met their valuation and there was a willingness to include favourable clauses, the club are always unlikely to stand in the way of exits.

In recent markets, Manchester City officials have sanctioned a number of sales ranging from Liam Delap’s switch to Ipswich Town last summer containing a buy-back and sell-on clause, to Cole Palmer’s well-documented £40 million move to Chelsea.

The latest saga that could yet develop into one of the most broadly covered stories of the upcoming summer concerns James McAtee, off the back of a season where despite retaining the faith of Pep Guardiola, first-team opportunities have been hard to come by.

Now, according to the information of Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg, McAtee is ‘very open’ to the idea of a move to Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen during the upcoming summer transfer window.

It is further revealed that ‘concrete talks’ are currently ongoing between both parties, and contact has remained in place since the January transfer window, when the German club also made attempts to bring in the 22-year-old.

Since then, McAtee is said to have been following Bayer Leverkusen and their performances across competitions closely, although there is said to be nothing advanced when it comes to the two clubs involved.

Pep Guardiola has continued to pile on the praise for James McAtee despite continuous links to an exit for the England youth international, and it remains to be seen what the club will decide in regards to the player’s on-field fate this summer.

The 22-year-old is available for selection by Lee Carsley and the England Under-21 squad for the upcoming European Championships, although that would clash with Manchester City’s FIFA Club World Cup campaign in the United States.

Ultimately, the decision lies solely with the club as to whether they are willing to relinquish McAtee for the summer, and talks are due to be held between the Football Association, Manchester City, and Carsley over the coming weeks to ascertain what is best for midfielder.