Manchester United and Liverpool have been dealt a blow as Manchester City remain confident of agreeing on a new deal for James McAtee.
According to Football Insider, Manchester City have dealt Manchester United and Liverpool a blow in their pursuit of talented rising star James McAtee.
The 19-year-old came through the ranks at the Etihad and is steadily making a name for himself in the game. He impressed in City’s academy setup before debuting for the senior side in last month’s 6-1 Carabao Cup victory against Wycombe Wanderers. He is held in high regard by the Citizens who expect him to follow in the footsteps of Phil Foden. Not small praise given the faith the latter draws from Pep Guardiola.
McAtee’s performances have not gone unnoticed. Both Liverpool and Manchester United have been linked with making a move for him. However, City are not keen to lose their talented young starlet and are confident of tying McAtee down to a long term lucrative contract.
McAtee has 18 months left on his contract, which he signed in July 2020. City have been in talks regarding an extension since May. Despite it dragging on, they remain confident that a new deal can be reached. Possessing a stellar bag of tricks, the 19-year-old has the potential to become a key player for the Mancunians. Primarily an attacking midfielder, his vision and ability to make a pass makes him stand out.
Liverpool require an infusion of youth in midfield. Jordan Henderson, Thiago Alcantara and James Milner are all in their thirties. With Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott rising through the ranks, adding McAtee into the mix could give Jurgen Klopp a troika of young talents to call upon.
More so, Klopp has a proven track record of getting the best out of promising young players. However, Guardiola has a similar track record, and McAtee will continue to develop at the Etihad remains to be seen.
United, for their part, have several promising young talents coming through the ranks. However, they do lack dynamism in midfield. Both Fred and Scott McTominay lack the impetus to attack. This leaves Bruno Fernandes as the lone attacking midfielder capable of carving open the centre.
Given the rivalry between both sides, it remains to be seen if McAtee will ever bridge the chasm. For now, his future looks to lie at the Etihad. In Foden, he has a blueprint of success to follow and how he will go about it remains to be seen.
With Guardiola potentially set to leave the club in 2023, City will have to ensure a succession plan is put into place for continued success. Together with Foden, Jack Grealish and others, McAtee could lay the foundations for the next era of continued success.
