Reported Leeds United transfer target James McAtee was left out of the squad for Manchester City’s midweek win over Bournemouth.
Pep Guardiola has informed Manchester City they must reduce the size of his squad in another suggestion several exits could follow - a development which can only boost Leeds United’s hope of signing James McAtee.
Leeds have been freshly linked with interest in McAtee ahead of what chairman Paraag Marathe recently described as the most important summer in decades, with upgrades needed across several positions. First-choice additions in goal and upfront are an obvious priority but given previous interest in the City academy graduate and similar profiles, a No.10 is also likely on the radar of Elland Road recruitment chiefs.
Reports surrounding interest in McAtee suggest the attacking midfielder, whose City contract will enter its final 12 months this summer, will be allowed to leave for anywhere between £20-30million. A major rebuild is expected at the Etihad with several new additions, but that means those on the fringes will need to move on, with Guardiola coming from the Marcelo Bielsa school of tight-knit squads.
Pep Guardiola hints at Man City exits amid Leeds United James McAtee links
“I said to the club I don’t want that [a bigger squad],” Guardiola said following Tuesday’s 3-1 win over Bournemouth, another game in which McAtee was left out entirely. “I don’t want to leave five or six players in the freezer. I don’t want that. I will quit. Make a shorter squad, I will stay. It’s impossible for my soul to give my players in the tribune [stands] that they cannot play. Now it happened to add players immediately.
Read More
“Maybe three, four months we couldn’t select 11 players, we didn’t have defenders, it was so difficult. After people come back but next season it cannot be like that. As a manager I cannot train 24 players and every time I select I have to have four, five, six stay in Manchester at home because they cannot play. This is not going to happen. I said to the club. I don’t want that.”
'Award winning South Indian Restaurants proud to carry Leeds United in our hearts'.'Award winning South Indian Restaurants proud to carry Leeds United in our hearts'.
'Award winning South Indian Restaurants proud to carry Leeds United in our hearts'. | 'Award winning South Indian Restaurants proud to carry Leeds United in our hearts'.
McAtee is already behind a host of teammates when it comes to City’s attacking positions, with more additions expected this summer. Etihad chiefs have recently pulled out of a £100m-plus deal for Florian Wirtz and reports suggest they will turn focus to Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White.
But with Guardiola wanting to shrink his squad, rather than grow it, exits will need to be sanctioned. And from a profitability and sustainability perspective, academy graduate McAtee represents pure profit, meaning any sale will bring an instant injection of £20-30m into the club without any initial transfer fee having to be balanced.
It remains to be seen if Leeds do pursue a move for McAtee this summer, but competition for Brenden Aaronson would not go amiss. The main issue would of course be competition, with a host of Premier League clubs expected to have space for the England youth international if he does become available.
Continue Reading