Manchester City could use first-team midfielder in negotiations for Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz | OneFootball

Bayer Leverkusen’s maintained interest in Manchester City playmaker James McAtee could come in handy over reverse interest from the Etihad Stadium in one German star.

The future of the England international has been thrown into doubt at various points of the ongoing season amid frustrations from both supporters, and likely the player’s side, over the number of opportunities handed to him by manager Pep Guardiola.

It was the Catalan head coach who personally made the decision to retain McAtee as part of his first-team squad for the ongoing season following back-to-back loan spells with Sheffield United last summer.

However, since then, the number of starting places in Manchester City’s line-up have been hard to come by, despite impressive spells on the pitch when named in the eleven, or when appearing from the substitute’s bench.

Nevertheless, the limited game time has not turned away the interest from European suitors given McAtee’s immense natural talent, and one club continuing to maintain their admiration for the player is none other than the reigning Bundesliga champions.

According to the information of MailSport’s Simon Jones, Manchester City midfielder James McAtee is Bayer Leverkusen’s number one target this summer should they agree to sell star playmaker, Florian Wirtz.

With Etihad Stadium officials among those pursuing Wirtz ahead of the upcoming summer market, the report claims that the Bundesliga club are actively seeking a playmaker who could fill the void and are prepared to push for McAtee in any negotiations with Manchester City.

The Premier League champions have the future of Kevin De Bruyne to weigh up when the time comes, with the Belgian’s contract expiring at the end of the ongoing season and little to no clarity on what decision will be taken.

There remains a chance that both City and the 33-year-old could agree to a short-term extension on reduced salary terms and with a lesser role in Pep Guardiola’s operation, while also investing heavily in a ready-made replacement.

There is an awareness within the club that the long-term replacement for Kevin De Bruyne will require no short-cuts, and top-level investment will almost certainly be sanctioned for the right player, perhaps Florian Wirtz.

However, given the value of the player to the German side and competition from the likes of Bayern Munich and Real Madrid, a transfer fee could well exceed £100 million during the summer months for the midfielder.