Leeds United transfer target James McAtee is set to leave Manchester City after the club allowed him to represent England this summer at the Under-21 European Championship.
The attacking midfielder will head to Slovakia this summer on national team duty despite Pep Guardiola suggesting that his players should be in the United States with the people paying their wages.
City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak expressed his desire this week to have the new first team squad as complete as possible in time for the Club World Cup, viewing the summer tournament as the start of their new season. The decision to allow McAtee not to participate signals a green light to a number of clubs interested in signing the £25m playmaker.
Last season, McAtee was persuaded to remain at the Etihad by Guardiola, with the club rejecting offers of £30m and loan enquiries. Only four players in the squad scored more than his seven goals throughout the campaign, although Guardiola admitted he should have utilised him more during the team's winter struggles.
Despite this, Guardiola excluded him from the final three matchday squads of the season, including the FA Cup final. While the manager often spoke highly of him, this did not translate into sufficient game time.
England Under-21 manager Lee Carsley requested McAtee's availability this summer, and City's decision effectively invites offers for him, reports the Manchester Evening News.
Leeds are known to have looked at McAtee last summer while Leverkusen's bid for the player was rejected in January. Despite Xabi Alonso's departure, his successor Erik Ten Hag had previously discussed a potential offer from United during his tenure at Old Trafford; Frankfurt, Dortmund, Leipzig and Stuttgart have also expressed interest.
McAtee is thought to be eager for a move to the Bundesliga, inspired by similar players who have thrived in the league and regularly participated in Champions League football.
Kevin De Bruyne made a similar move to Wolfsburg at the same age, while more recently Jude Bellingham, Jamie Bynoe-Gittens and Jadon Sancho all seized their opportunity in the league.
Nottingham Forest and Spurs are among several Premier League clubs keen to keep McAtee in England, setting the stage for a competitive race to sign the 22 year old.