Tottenham target James McAtee has decided to leave Manchester City and join Nottingham Forest this summer
Thomas Frank has arrived at Tottenham Hotspur and so far has been able to add Mathys Tel, Mohammed Kudus, Kota Takai and Joao Palhinha to his squad, while a move to add Morgan Gibbs-White collapsed following legal trouble before Nottingham Forest convinced him to sign a new contract.
Spurs have lost former skipper Son Heung-min to MLS club Los Angeles FC and, after James Maddison suffered an ACL rupture during pre-season, they are keen to add fresh attacking talent before the transfer deadline.
The Lilywhites have identified Manchester City creative midfielder James McAtee as one of the options to fill the void in the squad created by Maddison’s serious knee injury. However, it looks like Thomas Frank is about to miss out on the player’s signing.
Nottingham Forest closing in on James McAtee
According to reputable journalist Fabrizio Romano on X, Nottingham Forest are closing in on the James McAtee from Man City. The agreement is ‘at the final stages’ for fee in excess of £20m, with Nottingham Forest confident of wrapping up the youngster’s signing.
McAtee has long been regarded as one of Man City’s most promising academy graduates. Having spent time on loan at Sheffield United, he has found first-team opportunities at the Etihad Stadium limited due to intense competition in midfield and attack. The creative midfielder enjoyed a great summer with the young Three Lions as he helped guide them to their second European Championship title in two years.
Tottenham held fresh talks with City over the possibility of signing the England youth international, bit it is Forest who are now in a driving seat to win his signature.
Another bitter pill to swallow for Spurs?
After Forest blocked Gibbs-White’s move to White Hart Lane, the last thing Spurs would have wanted is to lose out one of their targets to the Midlands club. But it is exactly what is happening now as Forest are closing in on McAtee’s signing, and that too for a paltry fee in excess of £20m.
Paying around £20-25m for a player of McAtee’s talent and ceiling in this market is daylight robbery from the Tricky Trees. The Englishman deciding to move to City Ground instead of White Hart Lane could be down to the specific role he’s being offered in Forest’s setup, one that assures him valuable minutes and long-term development under Nuno Espirito Santo.
The young midfielder’s move to Forest would not only mark a significant investment by their Greek owner Evangelos Marinakis, but also rub salt to Tottenham’s wounds. Once again, Daniel Levy’s lack of proactive approach in the transfer market has let us slip one of our prime targets to a rival Premier League club.
