Manchester United are reportedly one of a number of clubs, both within England and abroad, eyeing a summer move for Manchester City midfielder James McAtee.
United are expected to dip into the market for midfield reinforcements who suit the way Ruben Amorim wants to play football. There is also the fact that Christian Eriksen is set to leave the club upon the expiry of his contract and the uncertainty surrounding Casemiro, despite his resurgence in the past few games.
The Red Devils continue to be linked to a number of midfielders including Ederson (Atalanta), Xavi Simons (RB Leipzig), Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa), Adam Wharton (Crystal Palace), Eberechi Eze (Crystal Palace), Jobe Bellingham (Sunderland) and Chris Rigg (Sunderland), just to mention a few names.
Now, The Telegraph reveal that United are keeping tabs on City’s McAtee.
But Amorim’s side are not the only party that retain an admiration for the player. Nottingham Forest and Bayer Leverkusen have lined him up in case they lose Morgan Gibbs-White and Florian Wirtz, respectively.
City have identified Gibbs-White and Wirtz as their top two targets to replace the departing Kevin de Bruyne.
James Ducker notes that AC Milan and Newcastle are the other clubs monitoring McAtee, who is desperate for regular first-team minutes.
The 22-year-old started in City’s 2-1 win over Aston Villa on Tuesday evening but that was just his second Premier League start this season.
He has made 24 appearances across all competitions, notching an impressive seven goals in that period.
Leverkusen tried to loan McAtee in January with the option of making his signing a permanent one for 25m but City were not interested in letting him go at the time.
Whether United choose to act on their interest in the Salford-born talent remains to be seen. What promises to be even more intriguing is how City might respond to an approach from their cross-town rivals.
Meanwhile, United are back in action on Sunday when they go away to the Vitality Stadium to face Bournemouth.
Featured image Justin Setterfield via Getty Images
Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social
Derick Kinoti Derick Kinoti is a football writer at The Peoples Person who has covered Manchester United and the game extensively for many years. He is a keen analyst with expertise in SEO and journalism standards. Derick is convinced Wayne Rooney is the true GOAT and won’t hear otherwise!
