Sheffield United believe they could have key advantage in quest to sign Man City's James McAtee | OneFootball

Sheffield United believes the relationships James McAtee formed during his time at Bramall Lane could help them to win the race for the 20-year-old this summer, a report from the Sheffield Star has revealed.

The young midfielder enjoyed a very successful 2022/23 campaign in South Yorkshire, something that will come as a relief to all parties considering there were no guarantees that he was going to make the step up to a senior level effectively.

Shining in Man City's academy though, it always looked as though he was going to be a valuable contributor for the Blades and managed to record nine goals and four assists in 43 competitive appearances.

These goals helped United to put some crucial points on the board, with his contributions allowing Paul Heckingbottom's side to clinch second spot despite Luton Town and Middlesbrough previously threatening to knock them out of the automatic promotion zone.

With this and the Blades only having a very limited budget to work with under their current owner, United are keen to see McAtee return, potentially on a loan basis to minimise costs.

What barriers are there to Sheffield United finalising this deal?

With the Blades wanting both Doyle and McAtee on loan, they will need to sign one of them permanently if both are to arrive.

But it would be difficult to see them affording the fee needed to sign McAtee for the long term so if they sign Doyle on loan, McAtee may not return.

Another barrier that could prevent Heckingbottom from recruiting the 20-year-old is interest from other teams, with Burnley just one of several top-flight teams interested in taking him away from the Etihad.

Are Sheffield United favourites to sign James McAtee?

If United are looking to bring him in on loan, you feel they are in a good position to secure a second temporary agreement because both Doyle and McAtee's loan deals worked out well.

Reda Khadra's loan move may not have worked out for the best, but Morgan Gibbs-White had a career-defining temporary spell at Bramall Lane during the 2021/22 campaign.

These positive examples show just how good a loan spell in South Yorkshire can be for young players - and the Blades' relationship with Man City would surely have been strengthened after this season.

That can only be a good sign for the summer - but United will probably need to guarantee McAtee a decent amount of game time if he's to be allowed to link up with his former club again.