Credit: Imago

Chris Smith

Sun 3 August 2025 16:34, UK

Nottingham Forest appear to be pushing ahead with the signing of James McAtee, but there may be an ulterior motive to the sale for Manchester City.

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McAtee is a Manchester City academy product and registered an impressive seven goals in 27 appearances across all competitions last season, despite limited starts — with only 342 minutes of Premier League action.

The midfielder turns 23 soon and has reached the stage in his career where he can become a regular starter.

Nottingham Forest look set to offer McAtee that opportunity, but there may be more to this deal than meets the eye for City as well.



Forest are closing in on England U21 star James McAtee (Credit Imago)

Football Insider transfer correspondent Pete O’Rourke has revealed that £35million will be enough for Man City to sanction the departure of McAtee this summer.

The Tricky Trees have already seen a £25m bid rejected for McAtee, with City looking to make a little more out of their homegrown star, who will represent pure profit on the club’s PSR balance sheet.

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Alongside Forest, the likes of West Ham and Everton have been linked with McAtee, who has also attracted interest from German sides Borussia Dortmund and Eintracht Frankfurt.

However, City may be more motivated to sell to Forest.

Morgan Gibbs-White could eventually end up at City (Credit Hasan Karim/Breaking Media)

City failed in their bid to bring Forest star man Morgan Gibbs-White on board this summer, with the England international instead signing a new contract at the City Ground.

Gibbs-White will lead Forest into the Europa League this summer but given his upward career trajectory, he will by no means have taken his eye off the ultimate Champions League prize.



2024/25 Premier League statsMorgan Gibbs-WhiteJames McAteeAppearances3415Goals73Assists80Minutes2,822342Morgan Gibbs-White vs James McAtee in the 2024/25 Premier League

And while things went sour regarding a possible move to Spurs, with Forest even taking legal action, Evangelos Marinakis appears to have a better relationship with City — even preferring a move there for Gibbs-White over Spurs before that new contract was signed.

Allowing Forest to sign McAtee — who could be an eventual Gibbs-White replacement — on favourable terms might well be an act of ‘paying ahead’ for Man City, giving them better grace in possible negotiations for Gibbs-White next summer.
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