Manchester City’s preseason tour of America is now underway ahead of the upcoming 2024/25 season.
This period will not only give the players in the current squad the chance to get to full match fitness ahead of the new season but also give some fringe players the chance to impress Pep Guardiola and stake a claim to be in the senior squad.
On that point, one pundit and former City player has shared his verdict on one particular talent in the preseason squad who Guardiola has recently said he thinks very highly of.
Paul Dickov says James McAtee is a perfect player for Pep Guardiola
After Guardiola said in a recent press conference that he would like to have James McAtee in his City squad for the upcoming season, Paul Dickov had this to say about the midfielder in a recent livestream shared on the club’s YouTube channel.
He said: “His first season he’d done really well when they got promoted, Sheffield United, and I was slightly surprised that he went on loan last season and they didn’t buy him, which maybe kept that window open for him to come back in this preseason and see how he could handle his first full season of the Premier League.
“He spoke about his physicality, James will openly admit himself that he needed to bulk up a little bit.
“Mentally, being in that relegation battle as well can add something more to you.
“He’s a Pep Guardiola player, plays in the little pockets, makes it difficult, he’s very, very technical but if you’re James McAtee and you’ve seen that interview, you would watch it over and over against because it’s going to give him such a big boost.”
McAtee could be ready to finally shine for City
Having spent the past two seasons on loan at Sheffield United, the latest of which being in the Premier League, the 21-year-old has scored 14 goals and delivered eight assists in 75 appearances for the Yorkshire club across all competitions.
Making just seven senior appearances for City, the midfielder has yet to deliver a goal contribution for the Blues.
Now that Guardiola and Dickov have shared how much they admire McAtee, this upcoming campaign could be the ideal time for the youngster to finally show what he’s capable of in this City team on a regular basis.
