£25m Man City star handed exit boost after latest news coming out of Bournemouth
Exits are set to take place at Manchester City over the coming weeks.
The opening phase of the 2025 summer transfer window has been busy at the Etihad Stadium as Pep Guardiola wanted four to five new faces added to his squad before the market opened, and the legendary coach has already seen that target hit.
The Man City boss will be fully focused on winning the FIFA Club World Cup over the next month, and once that has concluded, Guardiola will decide whether he wants more players added to his squad.
A decision on exits will also be made, as several stars have uncertain futures in Manchester, but one has just been given a big boost regarding a potential move, thanks to the latest news coming out of Bournemouth.
Bournemouth will not sell Justin Kluivert to Bayer Leverkusen
James McAtee did not travel to the FIFA Club World Cup with Man City this summer in order to represent England at the European Under-21 Championship, but that also hints that his career in Manchester is coming to an end.
Bayer Leverkusen’s new coach, Erik ten Hag, is a big fan of McAtee and the German club have had an interest in the midfielder for some time, who City value at £25m.
It was reported last week that Leverkusen no longer want to sign McAtee, but that may have changed again, as Bournemouth will not sell Justin Kluivert this summer, who is the Bundesliga’s top target to replace Florian Wirtz at the BayArena.
“One player not with Manchester City at the Club World Cup is James McAtee. He’s opted to captain the England U21s at the European Championships instead,” Alex Crook has explained on talkSPORT.
“James McAtee, I’m told, is stalling on the offer of a new contract at Manchester City and it is Pep Guardiola’s policy that if a player doesn’t want to be here, if he wants to move; we saw it with Kyle Walker, when he was allowed to go to Milan on loan, he will not stand in a player’s way.
“So I think James McAtee could well be heading for the exit this summer. Bayer Leverkusen, now managed by the former Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag, are one of the clubs showing interest in him.
“He’s a possible successor for Florian Wirtz, who of course, is heading to Liverpool. Leverkusen are also linked with a move over the weekend to the Bournemouth attacking midfielder Justin Kluivert.
“I’m told he’s not for sale at any price, so McAtee could be a live target for Leverkusen. A lot of clubs are tracking him, though.”
Other clubs in the race for James McAtee
McAtee is believed to be keen on a move to the Bundesliga this summer, as some of the clubs interested in the Englishman can offer him the chance to play regular Champions League football, in addition to a strong development path.
Eintracht Frankfurt, RB Leipzig, Borussia Dortmund and Stuttgart could all make a move for the Man City star before the summer window shuts, with Frankfurt and Dortmund having a big advantage due to their Champions League status.
Should the England international want to remain in the Premier League, Nottingham Forest have an interest in McAtee, while Leeds United are also keen on the Man City star.
The 22-year-old’s future will be decided once both summer tournaments have concluded, and it is clear that the midfielder will not be short of options.
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Guardiola is eyeing the Premier League title instead of lowering City’s standards and treating the upcoming campaign like a mere transitional season.
As for Arsenal, Mikel Arteta’s project could come under question if he fails to win the league after three successive seasons of leading the Gunners to second place — as the Spaniard has also not managed to win any major trophy since 2020.
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