Premier League pair Crystal Palace and West Ham United are becoming more and more hopeful that Manchester City will be open to selling James McAtee in January.
This is according to a report from Give Me Sport, which has also revealed that the top-flight duo are two of the more serious outfits that are in the race for the attacking midfielder, and that Man City are becoming more open to holding discussions with other teams regarding a move.
This may also put Leeds United on high alert, with Daniel Farke's side recently being linked with a move for the 22-year-old. They are even believed to have made a bid for the player, but whether their bid is anywhere near City's valuation remains to be seen.
Brenden Aaronson may have returned to Elland Road following the end of his loan spell at Union Berlin, but with Georginio Rutter departing, their attacking midfield department could benefit from another addition.
With this in mind, it's no surprise that McAtee has been linked with a switch to West Yorkshire.
The player already has some Championship experience under his belt from his time at Sheffield United, winning promotion with the Blades under Paul Heckingbottom at the end of the 2022/23 campaign, but it remains to be seen whether he's prepared to return to the second tier.
In terms of the top-tier sides named in this report, Palace have experienced real success in the transfer market in the past, with the likes of Ebere Eze and now-Bayern Munich star Michael Olise proving to be excellent additions for them.
They could move for another young player in January, with McAtee on their radar.
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Daniel Farke's players weren't their usual selves on Saturday at Ewood Park.
The Irons are also thought to be keen on the player - and it looks as though they will be in the mix for the player despite already investing a lot in their squad during the summer transfer window.
Their board sanctioned big-money deals for the likes of Max Kilman, Crysencio Summerville, Niclas Fullkrug and Aaron Wank-Bissaka during the previous window, though they haven't been rewarded for this investment, with head coach Julen Lopetegui struggling at the London Stadium at this point.
Both teams will face competition for his signature though.
Leeds United to face stiff competition for James McAtee
Leeds have been linked with a move for McAtee, as mentioned above, but it seems as though they will face a considerable amount of competition for his signature in January.
Both Palace and West Ham are eager to enter discussions regarding a permanent move for the Man City player.
City have begun to field enquiries for the player ahead of next month, with teams in other European nations taking an interest.
And in good news for these teams, City are becoming more open to conversations about the player's future, having failed to reward him with a sufficient amount of game time this season.
James McAtee's 2024/25 game time at Manchester City
Competition
Champions League
EFL Cup
Premier League
(Figures correct as of December 3rd, 2024)
Leeds United may struggle to afford permanent deal for James McAtee
Daniel Farke - Elland Road
Leeds may have sold some key players during the summer, but they needed to do that to balance the books.
They did generate quite a lot from the Georginio Rutter sale though - and it will be interesting to see whether they use some of that to try and recruit McAtee on a permanent deal.
Against top-tier teams though, they may be forced out of the race because of bigger offers from others, and the player's stance will also have a big say in whether he moves and who he moves to.
A move to Leeds would be a fairly exciting one, considering Elland Road is a good place to be right now.
But he will surely want to stay in a top division - and Leeds aren't there just yet.