And with a frustrated McAtee<\/a> now accepting that he most likely needs to move on to further his career, the England Under-21 star has been made available for transfer this summer, with just a year remaining on his City deal.<\/p>\n The former Sheffield United loanee was the subject of enquiries from Leeds United<\/a> last summer, with City deciding at the time to rebuff those attempts. Now a year on \u2013 and back in the Premier League after securing the Championship title with an impressive 100-point haul \u2013 the Whites are once again understood to be exploring a move to bring McAtee to Elland Road.<\/p>\n However, while sources have confirmed to TEAMtalk that Leeds\u2019 interest is genuine, they are currently not seen as frontrunners in the pursuit of a player, who also has interest in him from Germany in the form of Bayer Leverkusen.<\/p>\n But having been informed the player\u2019s stance would be to remain in the Premier League, sources close to TEAMtalk\u2019s transfer correspondent Fraser Fletcher<\/a> have revealed that the chase is being being led by Nottingham Forest, who have made what has been described to us as a \u2018firm move\u2019 to prise the gifted playmaker away from the Etihad.<\/p>\n Writing on X, Fletcher wrote: \u2018Nottingham Forest set to make a firm play to sign James McAtee from Man City and are currently ahead of Leeds United in the transfer race, sources have told TEAMtalk.\u2019<\/p>\n Our sources state that Forest are planning what has been described as an \u2018aggressive summer transfer window\u2019 as they prepare to enter European competition for the first time since 1995\/96.<\/p>\n And a move for McAtee \u2013 a player branded \u2018exceptional\u2019 by journalist Ryan Taylor \u2013 is very much in their thinking, especially given Man City\u2019s interest in acquiring Morgan Gibbs-White themselves from the Tricky Trees.<\/p>\n DON\u2019T MISS\u00a0<\/strong>\u26aa\ud83d\udfe1\ud83d\udd35 The dream Leeds Utd XI to ensure Prem survival, boosted by double Liverpool signing<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Man City asking price for James McAtee revealed<\/strong><\/p>\n Indeed, while City are open to including McAtee as part of any deal to land either Florian Wirtz \u2013 Pep Guardiola\u2019s No.1 target this summer \u2013 or Gibbs-White, his Plan B, this summer, they are not against an outright sale in his own right.<\/p>\n To that end, sources have informed us that the Cityzens value the player up to \u00a335m ($41.5m, $46.7m), though achieving that price looks a tall order given his deal has just over 12 months left to run.<\/p>\n Indeed, his various suitors, which we\u2019re informed also include West Ham, Tottenham and, if they secure promotion, his former loan club Sheffield United, believe a deal is there to be done for around \u00a325m to \u00a330m.<\/p>\n We\u2019ve also been informed that the City academy is also increasingly being seen as a rich place into which to tap into by various top clubs. Citing what was described to us as the \u2018Cole Palmer effect\u2019, clubs are increasingly open to the extreme quality that City\u2019s academy is producing, but have been unable to offer first-team opportunities to in recent years. Michael Olise, Romeo Lavia and Jeremie Frimpong are other recent examples of academy stars who have gone on to reach the top since departing the Etihad.<\/p>\n READ MORE<\/strong>\u00a0\ud83c\udf10 A brilliant XI of academy graduates sold by Man City: Palmer, Frimpong, Olise\u2026<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n As for the player himself, we\u2019re now told he is of the mindset that the time is right to move on. He has waited patiently for a regular chance at the Etihad and despite Kevin De Bruyne\u2019s imminent departure, the fact that Guardiola is doing all in his power to land Wirtz as a replacement has told McAtee all he needs to know.<\/p>\n And having been limited to just three Premier League starts all season, with a further 12 off the bench, the player has come to realise little is likely to change for him at the Etihad.<\/p>\n Leeds transfer round-up: Newcastle set midfielder price; Chelsea stat monster wanted<\/strong><\/p>\n Meanwhile, Leeds are one of three Premier League suitors for Sean Longstaff, after the midfielder was cleared to depart Newcastle United<\/a> this summer and with TEAMtalk sources revealing his asking price.<\/p>\n Sources have also revealed to us that the Whites\u2019 have a serious interest in and are considering a genuine approach for a Chelsea star<\/a> who has excelled while on loan in Ligue 1 this season.<\/p>\n
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