(Credit: Imago/Hasan Karim, Breaking Media)

Pete O'Rourke, Transfer Correspondent

Sun 3 August 2025 8:00, UK

Manchester City won’t command an exorbitant fee for James McAtee this summer after Nottingham Forest’s first bid, sources have told Football Insider.

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Speaking on the latest edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, senior correspondent Pete O’Rourke revealed what his sources have told him about Forest’s attempt to sign the Man City youngster.

Nottingham Forest have already secured arguably their biggest ‘signing’ of the summer with Morgan Gibbs-White’s new contract, but are now “on the offensive” after signing Bologna winger Dan Ndoye.

McAtee remains a big part of the Reds’ transfer plans and Forest have already seen a £25million offer rejected by Man City, but sources have told Football Insider that they won’t have to pay over the odds.

Football Insider sources have said that £35m will indeed be enough to prize McAtee away from Man City this summer, and McAtee could accelerate a switch to the City Ground by pushing for the move himself.

Man City will earn a 100 per cent profit in PSR terms if and when they sell McAtee, and sources have told Football Insider that they won’t stand in the 22-year-old’s way if Forest return with an appropriate offer.

Forest kept hold of Gibbs-White after interest from Spurs and City (Credit: Hasan Karim, Breaking Media)

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Football Insider revealed last month that McAtee joins Jack Grealish and Kalvin Phillips on the list of Man City players Pep Guardiola wants to get rid of, with all three well down the pecking order at the Etihad.

Speaking on the new Inside Track, O’Rourke said that while Man City want to extract maximum value for McAtee given his status as a homegrown player, they won’t hold Forest to ransom over his transfer fee.

“Manchester City would take a lot less now, you’re probably looking around £35million for McAtee”, he told Football Insider.

“If they get an offer which is too good to turn down – around £35million – they will probably let McAtee move on.

“So if the player pushes for the move, and if a team can get close to £35million, I think a deal could be done for McAtee to leave City.”

James McAtee captained England to Under-21 Euros glory this summer (Credit: Imago)

McAtee is far from the only academy product City are keen to get rid of this summer, with Issa Kabore, Luke Mbete and Callum Doyle all set to be shown the door as Guardiola cuts down the size of his squad.

However, given Grealish and Phillips‘ exits are unlikely to recoup anything close to the combined £145m paid for them by Man City, McAtee is one of few players the Blues can expect to earn a healthy profit on.

Man City have already spent big this summer on players who provide further competition for McAtee, and as clubs queue up to sign the England Under-21s captain, Forest can put themselves in the box seat.

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