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Manchester City’s James McAtee attracts transfer interest from FIVE Bundesliga clubs as Etihad Stadium exit favoured

Manchester City’s James McAtee attracts transfer interest from FIVE Bundesliga clubs as Etihad Stadium exit favoured
Manchester City’s James McAtee attracts transfer interest from FIVE Bundesliga clubs as Etihad Stadium exit favoured

James McAtee is continuing to attract widespread transfer interest as the player continues to favour an exit from Manchester City.

That is according to information that had surfaced prior to McAtee’s stellar performance for Pep Guardiola’s side in the third round of the FA Cup at the weekend, contributing a hat-trick to an eight-goal haul for the hosts over League Two side Salford City.

It is the latest offering from the Manchester City Academy graduate to further emphasis his quality and strengthens the growing belief within the club’s fanbase that the attacking midfielder should be afforded significantly more on-field opportunities.

James McAtee scored his first goal for the club in a UEFA Champions League rout over Slovan Bratislava earlier in the campaign, whilst a brief cameo against Leicester City before the turn of the year saw the player contribute to an excellent phase of play to secure all three points.

But despite the growing number of standout moments from the player, there remains a concern that the January transfer window could present an opportunity for the player to leave Manchester City in search of more consistent game time, and perhaps on a permanent deal.

According to the information of The Telegraph’s James Ducker, all of Bayer Leverkusen, RB Leipzig, Mainz, Borussia Dortmund, and Stuttgart all hold an interest in Manchester City’s England Under-21 attacking midfielder, James McAtee.

They join further interest from Premier League sides including Fulham, Nottingham Forest, West Ham, and Brentford, while there are also said to be suitors in Italy. However, it is reported that clubs in Germany currently lead the chase.

As for the current stance taken by McAtee, it is once again reaffirmed that he favours a move away from Manchester City this month due to frustrations over playing time, while he could be available for around £20 million to £25 million.

Pep Guardiola once again spoke fondly of James McAtee after Manchester City’s 8-0 victory over Salford City on Saturday evening in which the youngster thrived, reminded listeners and viewers of the generation of players that he had emerged from.

Discussing his individual performance against Karl Robinson’s men, Guardiola said of McAtee, “I’m not denying how happy I am that he scored a hat-trick, it’s not easy. But he can play better. The first-half was not his best.”

He continued, “He’s a special, talented player. Generation of [Morgan] Rogers, [Cole] Palmer, [Liam] Delap, [Romeo] Lavia, [Jadon] Sancho. He was a main player there, the captain and a Manchester City fan.”

James McAtee’s next opportunity to get a run-out for Manchester City’s first-team will come in midweek as the reigning Premier League champions travel to Brentford on Tuesday night for English top-flight action.