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Manchester City signed Rayan Cherki for a fee of £34m from French side Lyon, making one of their current players set for an exit.
Pep Guardiola has previously expressed his desire to cut down the size of his squad, as he likes to have a core set of players whom he rotates between. It means that any fringe players could be sold this summer to generate some more cash.
Following the signing of Rayan Cherki, it has plunged the future of one of City’s academy products into doubt, as his route to regular game time has a lot more obstacles in the way. Cherki has already made an appearance in every game since he joined, and is set for a large role in Guardiola’s side.
James McAtee set to leave Man City
Midfielder James McAtee is highly regarded at the Etihad Stadium, he made 27 appearances for City last year, scoring seven goals. He’s a very versatile player, but after City added Cherki, McAtee will likely struggle to get regular game time.
With that in mind, the 22-year-old is likely to leave City this summer alongside Jack Grealish, who also looks to be on his way out. There has been reported interest in McAtee from the Bundesliga and the Premier League, and it seems City have made a decision on his future.
According to Journalist Pete O’Rourke, it is part of Man City’s plan to move on from McAtee this summer. He told Football Insider: “The key here for [McAtee] is that Man City probably will cash in on him because it’s a pure profit on their FFP and PSR. It could be a good deal for City to let him go, having spent quite heavily in the last couple of transfer windows.”
The report continues to say that they are expected to sell him for at least £25m. The most likely destination for the 22-year-old so far is Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt. According to Sky Sports in Germany, McAtee has flown to Frankfurt to have discussions over a move to the Bundesliga side.
Man City could sell Jack Grealish too
Alongside McAtee, Jack Grealish’s future at the Etihad Stadium looks to be all but over, after he has fallen out of favour with Guardiola, making just 20 Premier League appearances last year.
It is well-documented that Grealish would like to stay at Man City, but his role would be significantly reduced if he did. It is understood that the club would like to get around £40m for the winger, but if they can’t find a buyer, there could be a loan deal, much like Marcus Rashford’s to Aston Villa in the second half of last year.
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