Mainz 05 keen to intensify loan deal for Manchester City midfielder before transfer deadline | OneFootball

Manchester City could yet lose midfield talent James McAtee on loan for the remainder of the season amid growing interest from Germany’s Bundesliga.

The England youth international has been consistently placed at the centre of transfer discussion this month, having seen his opportunities under Pep Guardiola restricted despite encouraging performances.

A bright cameo against Leicester City, alongside a hat-trick in the FA Cup third round against Salford, and a goal in the 0-6 rout over Ipswich Town has seen conversation around McAtee boosted and whether he deserves a starting place in Guardiola’s set-up.

But while those debates remain ongoing, and Manchester City strengthen in attacking roles through the arrival of Omar Marmoush from Eintracht Frankfurt, a number of clubs are continuing to monitor whether a late loan agreement for James McAtee could be possible.

A number of clubs from England have been heavily linked with his signature, however it appears as though the player’s preference would be a switch to Germany if possible, with one club emerging ahead of the chasing pack in the latest reports.

According to the information of Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg, Mainz 05 are now ‘seriously considering’ a loan move for Manchester City’s highly-rated attacking midfield talent, James McAtee.

It is explained that the German club are ‘keen’ to secure the 22-year-old on loan before the conclusion of the ongoing winter transfer window, and ‘initial talks’ have already taken place concerning the player.

However, the competition is reportedly ‘fierce’ and perhaps unsurprisingly so given the player’s abilities that have been showcased in glimpses for the reigning Premier League champions this season, with other potential suitors emerging from within the Bundesliga.

For now, it remains to be seen what James McAtee’s stance on his own future is, and whether he believes the remainder of the ongoing season would be more beneficial to him if he was elsewhere and receiving consistent on-field opportunities.

Manager Pep Guardiola has been consistent in his praise for the youngster, pointing out that he emerged for Manchester City from the same generation of youth academy squad that produced the likes of Cole Palmer, Romeo Lavia, and Morgan Rogers.

Guardiola told a recent media conference on McAtee, “Wow! Such a good footballer, lovely guy. He has quite similar qualities to Phil (Foden) in the sense of goal.

“It’s not easy with not much minutes for confidence but he has personality… Hopefully we can keep him for many, many years!”