James McAtee, Leeds United badge, Manchester City badge
Leeds United could lose out on Manchester City youngster James McAtee [Credit: Imago]
Connor Burgess
Wed 11 December 2024 10:10, UK
Leeds United want to bolster their frontline with Manchester City forward James McAtee in the January transfer window, but they must act quickly.
The Whites are preparing to bring the 22-year-old forward to West Yorkshire on loan for the second half of the campaign and have been backed to land the “outstanding” Manchester City youngster.
However, TBR Football reported on Monday [9 December] that Pep Guardiola is expected to offer McAtee as a makeweight in a deal to sign Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Florian Wirtz.
Angus Kinnear is now facing a race against time to convince McAtee that his short-term future lies at Elland Road, as the decision could soon be taken out of his hands.
Leeds United could struggle to compete for James McAtee
The Bundesliga has proven to be a desirable landing spot for England’s most promising talents in recent years.
MORE LEEDS STORIES
Jadon Sancho led the way for the English youth, leaving the Manchester City academy for Borussia Dortmund before returning to the Premier League with Manchester United.
Most recently, Jude Bellingham forged his name at Dortmund after leaving Birmingham and earned a big-money move to Real Madrid, winning the Champions League in his maiden year in Spain last season against his former side.
Therefore, should Xabi Alonso be tempted by the prospect of developing English talent in Germany, Leeds would have to whip out all the stops to convince McAtee to snub a move to the Bundesliga.
James McAtee of England U21 looks on during the UEFA European Under-21 Championship Qualifier between England MU21 and Albania U21 at Technique Sta...
Photo by Alex Livesey – Danehouse/Getty Images
The Whites have a long-standing interest in the England Under-21s international and failed to complete a season-long loan move for the midfielder in the summer after Guardiola vetoed the move.
Kinnear should lean on this interest to help sell the move to Elland Road to McAtee, but unfortunately, should Leverkusen entertain the swap deal, it will undoubtedly be difficult for Leeds to thwart the reigning Bundesliga champions.
All hope of a move to Elland Road will hinge on McAtee wanting to fight for his future in Manchester and being willing to move for regular game time temporarily.
In other Leeds news, Daniel Farke must prove Jeff Stelling and Ally McCoist wrong after a Marcelo Bielsa claim was made at the Whites.
For more Leeds news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.
Related Posts