Manchester City youngster James McAtee is reportedly ready for showdown talks with the club as he considers a move away in January.
According to a report from Give Me Sport, James McAtee wants to play more often, and he has been limited to just 171 minutes of football in all competitions. It will be interesting to see if he is allowed more opportunities in the coming weeks.
The 21-year-old is highly rated at the club, and it remains to be seen how they handle the situation. Manchester City rate him highly, and Guardiola will have to provide him with game-time assurance if they want to hold onto the player. They have been eager to keep him at the Etihad for a long time.
The Englishman cannot afford to sit on the bench at this stage of his career, and regular football will be crucial to his development. Meanwhile, Celtic have been linked with him, and it remains to be seen whether Manchester City are ready to send the £15,000-a-week academy graduate on loan in January. If City do not want to sell him permanently, a loan could be ideal for everyone.
Manchester City might not want to lose James McAtee
Manchester City will have learnt the hard way in the case of Cole Palmer that selling a wantaway prospect does not alway work, and they might not want to lose a prodigious talent like McAtee.
The England under-21 international is hoping for more opportunities in the coming weeks, and Manchester City will have to handle the situation carefully. They cannot afford to lose another prodigious talent to their rivals in the near future. There is no doubt that the 21-year-old has the ability to develop into an important first-team player for Manchester City, and he could end up saving millions in the market as well.
McAtee will certainly want to make it in the Premier League with his boyhood club, and he will be desperate to prove himself in the English top flight if he is given a chance. The 21-year-old might not be ready to start every week, but he is certainly good enough for frequent cameos, and Guardiola will have to give him the exposure he needs right now.
