James McAtee of Manchester City
James McAtee of Manchester City
James McAtee's Manchester City exit took a step closer with the news that he has opted to play for England Under-21s in the summer's U21 European Championship - turning down the chance to stay with City for the Club World Cup.
The 22-year-old is set to leave the Etihad in the transfer window as part of Pep Guardiola's rebuild, with City looking to be active this summer. They have already confirmed a deal for AC Milan midfielder Tijjani Reijnders close, with interest in Wolves' wing-back Rayan Ait-Nouri and Lyon forward Rayan Cherki.
Newcastle United have been strongly linked with a move for McAtee, who has struggled to command a regularl first-team place despite City's recent struggles. Guardiola remains a big fan, but with new signings imminent, City won't stand in his way if a suitable deal arrives.
McAtee was reportedly given the choice of playing for England in the U21 EUROS or being part of the Man City squad for the Club World Cup, with the winger choosing the join up with Lee Carsley's squad, alongside Newcastle's Tino Livramento.
Carsley has now confirmed that McAtee will captain his squad for the tournament in Slovakia, with the decision suggesting his time at Man City will soon come to an end.
Along with Newcastle, Leeds United and Bundesliga sides Bayer Leverkuson and Stuttgart are interested in a deal for McAtee, who could cost in the region of £35m.
United have been looking for right-side forward options for some time, but look set to miss out on a deal for Bryan Mbeumo, with Manchester United in negotiations with Brentford over a move. There is still plenty of work to be done on agreeing a fee, but Mbeumo has indicated he wants to go to Old Trafford on reported £250,000-per-week wages.
McAtee made 27 appearances for Man City last season - included five in the Champions League - scoring seven goals. He has previously impressed in two loan spells for Sheffield United, scoring 14 goals and contributing eight assists in 75 games for the Blades.
Content Image
Content Image
Here at ChronicleLive, we are dedicated to bringing you the best Newcastle United coverage and analysis.
Make sure you don't miss out on the latest NUFC news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe.
You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day's biggest stories.
And, finally, if you would rather listen to our expert analysis then make sure to check out our Everything is Black and White podcast. Our shows are available on all podcast platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and you can also watch along on YouTube.