Nottingham Forest have reportedly launched a ‘surprise swoop’ for another Manchester City player this summer after **agreeing a deal**to sign James McAtee.
The Tricky Trees are soon expected to announce the arrival of McAtee in a deal believed to be worth an initial £22m that will rise to £30m in add-ons.
Man City are also said to have included a sell-on clause and a buy-back clause in the deal to sell McAtee, who has a medical booked ahead of finalising his imminent switch to the City Ground.
McAtee is poised to become Forest’s fifth signing of the summer transfer window after Dan Ndoye, Igor Jesus, Jair Cunha and Angus Gunn.
Head coach Nuno Espirito Santo has been actively looking to strengthen his squad further ahead of the club’s first European campaign for 30 years - either in the Europa League of Conference League - and he is now hoping to raid Pep Guardiola’s team for a second time.
Manchester City's Rico Lewis on April 27, 2025
Man City open to Lewis sale amid Forest interest
According to the Daily Mail, Forest want to complete a double swoop of Man City academy talents by securing the signature of Rico Lewis alongside McAtee.
The report adds that potential signing of Lewis would most likely be a separate transfer, with the 20-year-old thought to be valued in excess of £30m.
Man City had been looking to tie Lewis down to a new contract, with his current deal due to expire in June 2028, and they initially marked those negotiations as a priority heading into the summer.
However, the Citizens have not been able to finalise terms with the versatile youngster and they are now said to be open to allowing him to leave the Etihad Stadium if the right offer came in.
Man City’s have also taken a similar stance on winger Savinho and goalkeeper Ederson, who have recently been the subject of interest from Tottenham Hotspur and Galatasaray respectively.
Manchester City's Rico Lewis on April 27, 2025
Lewis exit would leave Man City with homegrown quota headache
Lewis, who scored against Forest in an FA Cup semi-final with for Man City last season, joined the Citizens’ academy at the age of eight and worked his way through the club’s youth ranks before making his senior debut in the Premier League as a 17-year-old in August 2022.
At the same age, he became the youngster ever player to score on his Champions League debut just a few months later, and he has since amassed 94 first-team appearances across all competitions under Guardiola.
Lewis - who primarily operates as a right-back, but can also play at left-back and in midfield - featured 44 times for Man City last season, but he is not considered a nailed-on first-team regular following the emergence of Matheus Nunes as a makeshift full-back.
Man City could be left with a headache over their homegrown quota status if Lewis were to leave this summer, having already allowed McAtee, Kyle Walker and Jack Grealish to depart.
The potential exit of Lewis would leave Guardiola with just five homegrown players in his senior squad, three short of the required total for a 25-man Premier League squad.
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