One Manchester City player is in line for a new contract at the Etihad Stadium after impressing in pre-season.
The Manchester City squad returned to the CFA at the weekend after playing their final pre-season friendly against Chelsea on Saturday night in Colombus Ohio.
That rounded off a productive tour, with Pep Guardiola having been able to get a good look at some of the emerging talent within the club.
The manager did not have a big chunk of his squad for the tour, with players being given extended breaks after representing their countries over the summer.
As a result of players being absent, Guardiola gave minutes to young stars and one man who really took his opportunity was James McAtee.
And some good news now awaits the talented 21-year-old.
James McAtee set for new contract at Man City after leaving Pep Guardiola ‘very happy’ after US tour
McAtee is one of City’s brightest young talents, and has spent the last couple of seasons on loan at Sheffield United.
He impressed for them in 2022/23 in the Championship, and again caught the eye last term despite the Blades having a horrible Premier League campaign.
McAtee returned this summer and has played an exciting role in pre-season, featuring in all of City’s matches out in the US.
After the game with Chelsea, Guardiola confirmed that McAtee and also Nico O’Reilly would now become first-team options for him in 2024/25.
And the good news does not stop there for McAtee, because the player is now expected to sign a new contract at the Etihad. Renowned journalist Fabrizio Romano reported on X this morning: “Manchester City are expected to offer new deal to James McAtee after his excellent performances in pre-season.
“Talks to follow to bring him in line with other first-team players, as Pep Guardiola’s very happy with McAtee.”
It had been reported at the end of June that McAtee was the subject of interest from Girona, and that City were thinking about a potential new deal for the player before making a decision.
A clear sign McAtee is to be a first-teamer
- Who is James McAtee? All you need to know about the Man City prospect aiming to impress Pep Guardiola
McAtee did really well out in the US and it was great to hear Guardiola confirm him as a first-team player for 2024/25.
And the youngster signing a new contract at the club would clearly show they feel he is ready to step up.
With Julian Alvarez leaving, he might just be set for a decent level of involvement this season. The Argentina international picked up a lot of minutes playing as an attacking midfielder, so McAtee may well be ready to cover for him.
He has worked very hard to get to his point. So it will be hugely satisfying for the player to receive a new deal to reflect his new status as a first-teamer.
