Chelsea enter race to sign 21-year-old Manchester City playmaker dubbed ‘David Silva clone’ | OneFootball

Premier League rivals Chelsea have returned to Manchester City with fresh interest in one of the top-flight champions’ highly-rated Academy graduates.

Interest from Stamford Bridge follows the incredible success story witnessed by Chelsea and their recruitment of Manchester City Academy graduate Cole Palmer during the final days of the 2023 summer transfer window.

Having signed the Wythenshawe-born forward for a fee in the region of £40 million, the 22-year-old went on to record his most successful individual campaign to date by establishing himself as Chelsea’s leading goalscorer across all competitions.

With 27 goals and 15 assists to his name across 48 appearances in all competitions, Palmer claimed the Premier League’s Young Player of the Season award, whilst also breaking into Gareth Southgate’s senior England picture for the ongoing European Championships.

And Chelsea have seemingly been inspired by that growth to now return to Manchester City with further interest in more of the Premier League champions’ exciting young prospects, hoping to lure them through Palmer’s success story and increased first-team opportunities.

According to the information of MailSport’s Jack Gaughan, Chelsea are joined by other Premier League clubs in holding interest in Manchester City attacking midfielder James McAtee this summer.

The Manchester Evening News’ Simon Bajkowski has further explained that as well as Chelsea, there is also interest from clubs in other European leagues who can offer McAtee the opportunity of Champions League football next season.

However, at present, it is understood that Manchester City are not pushing for a sale of the 21-year-old and will give him the opportunity this summer to convince Pep Guardiola that he can be a part of the first-team picture next season.

McAtee is relatively to new to the senior men’s football scene, having just completed his second successive loan spell away from Manchester City, operating in the Premier League with Sheffield United last season.

Despite interest from Leicester City last summer in a temporary agreement, McAtee opted for a return to Bramall Lane having secured promotion to the top-flight through a Championship success story in the season prior.

It remains to be seen what Manchester City decide with regards to the 21-year-old Salford-born playmaker, but their decision could be aided by the player’s performances on the club’s pre-season tour of the United States later this summer.

McAtee was infamously labelled as one of several “David Silva clones” by former Manchester United and England right-back Gary Neville during a cameo appearance in the Premier League in 2021, as the Sky Sports pundit admitted, “It’s not an academy, it’s a cloning system.

“They’re like clones, they’re all the same. It’s almost like David Silva’s left them all behind!”