With Julian Alvarez having left Manchester City this summer for Atletico Madrid there is an opening in Pep Guardiola’s squad for an attacking player. Someone has to replace what the World Cup winner brought to the world champions. That opening may present an opportunity for young City playmaker James McAtee to make his mark. Based on a new report it seems that McAtee is going to be given those opportunities going forward to stake his claim for the role.
Sam Lee has reported for The Athletic that James McAtee is set to be offered a new deal. Lee further reports that Manchester City rejected bids of up to £30 million for McAtee this summer. Furthermore, Lee reports that Stuttgart were amongst a host of clubs chasing McAtee’s signature.
A new contract for the young City playmaker shows how highly regarded he is at Manchester City.
A new contract for James McAtee shows just how important he is to the world champions. He appears to now be a more mature player following his two loan spells at Sheffield United. That maturity, coupled with his tremendous talent, should see him be a steady contributor for Manchester City this season. But there is an opening in Pep Guardiola’s squad this season after the departure of Julian Alvarez. Could that be where McAtee slots in to make his mark at Manchester City?
It would appear that Pep Guardiola is more than likely to deploy a false 9 in games where Erling Haaland is unavailable or rested. With Manchester City appearing unlikely to sign another striker, that looks to be Guardiola’s best option, at least until January. That could be where McAtee will find his opportunity this season. He has the technical and tactical ability to play as a false 9 and his movement around the pitch is that of a much more experienced player. McAtee can also play in tight spaces, which is another key attribute for the false 9 role. Pep Guardiola also has Phil Foden, Bernardo Silva and Ilkay Gundogan who can also play as a false 9. But McAtee looks set to have a shot at playing the role throughout the season based on recent comments from Pep Guardiola.
Manchester City’s young playmaker James McAtee appears on the verge of signing a new deal at the club. He also looks set for a big role in Pep Guardiola’s squad this season. It appears that the departure of Julian Alvarez has opened up that door for McAtee. Now it will be up to him to seize that opportunity when it is presented to him.
