Manchester City may have to brace for a departure this January, as former scout Mick Brown believes an “outstanding” player wants to leave.
Changes needed at Man City
Man City are at serious risk of missing out on Champions League football next season, amid their terrible run of form in the Premier League, meaning major changes could be needed at the Etihad Stadium.
Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher believes City’s failures in the transfer market are the main reason for their incredible dip in form, alongside the loss of Rodri, saying:
“Rodri is a huge miss, but the player profile of who they have brought in – people say they have brought older players in like Kovacic and Gundogan, but the younger players they brought in didn’t work.”
One younger option at Pep Guardiola’s disposal is academy graduate James McAtee, however the 22-year-old has failed to force his way into the starting line-up, despite their struggles.
McAtee has made just two appearances in the Premier League this season, both of which came as very short cameo appearances from the bench, and there are now signs he is thinking of leaving in search of more game time.
In an interview with Football Insider, Brown has stated he believes the midfielder could push to leave this winter, amid widespread interest in his signature:
“There are a lot of interested clubs after his loan spell at Sheffield United. He benefited a lot from that move, and then training with the top players at City will have helped develop his game even without playing.
“But now he’s going to look to leave City in January, because he needs to play regular football. That’s the next stage for his growth as a player, to make that move away and test himself.
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He could be available for a bargain fee in January.
“From City’s point of view, they might be worried because of what the likes of Cole Palmer and Morgan Rogers have done since they left.
“So I understand they’ve been reluctant to let him go, but if he’s not going to play, he could push for the move because he has got to play football.“
Understandable decision for McAtee to leave Man City
It is always sad to see an academy graduate leave the club, but it would be understandable if the Salford-born ace tries to engineer a move this January, given his lack of game time.
Although the Englishman is still young, he is now at an age where he needs to be given regular minutes to aid his development, and it is clear he may not get that under Guardiola, given that he can’t get into what is a poor City side at the moment.
The maestro’s talent was on show for all to see during his time with Sheffield United, being lauded after scoring a remarkable solo goal against Blackpool:
As such, it will be no surprise if McAtee pushes to leave this January, but Guardiola may be wary of letting him leave and reducing the depth in the squad.