After a recent breakthrough at boyhood club Manchester City, James McAtee has been in sublime form. As a result of this, the Englishman has caught the eye of some of the Bundesliga’s top clubs including Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Dortmund.
James McAtee Attracts Interest From Germany
McAtee’s Career So Far
A Manchester City youth product, whose rise to the first team has been gradual. After being a key part of the club’s academy squads, McAtee would find a loan to the Championship with Sheffield United. In this season, he helped the Blades earn promotion with nine goals and five assists during the campaign.
In the following season, he returned to Sheffield to help his side in their bid to avoid relegation. This was less successful as Chris Wilder’s side conceded over 100 goals with just 16 points won. A tough year for the youngster but the experience in the top flight of English football will have really helped him.
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As for this term, the 22-year-old is now a part of Pep Guardiola’s squad. A hat-trick against Salford City in the cup and a game-changing appearance against Leicester City prove his quality. Despite the limited minutes, the youngster has already made an impression with Guardiola calling him “one of the biggest talents from the academy”.
Playing Style
A versatile option that mostly operates through the centre of midfield but can also be effective off the wing. His on-the-ball and technical abilities really allow him to thrive in these spaces, especially with the players around him.
Despite having poor defensive numbers, McAtee’s creativity when going forward is where he thrives. Helping his team move up the pitch with his dribbling has been a huge aspect of his game. Evidence to support this is his averaging 3.09 progressive carries per 90, which is in the top 2 percentile of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues.
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In addition, his shooting is also a strength. He is in the top three percentile for goals from midfield with 0.29 per game. These numbers are especially impressive as he played for Sheffield United, who were the worst team in the league last season.
However, his passing numbers are quite limited as he averages just 20.98 passes per 90. A huge reason for this is the lack of possession for his team last season and he is also more of a ball carrier. Therefore, strong passing numbers would be expected from the players around him.
Potential Moves?
As reported by Fabrizio Romano, the Bundesliga is the most likely destination for McAtee now. The clubs that have enquired about his availability include Bayer Leverkusen, Mainz, Leipzig, Dortmund and Stuttgart, but it is now up to him to decide his next destination.
Despite proving his qualities, it was always going to be tough to be a regular starter for Manchester City. Therefore, a move away could be the right path, as it was for Romeo Lavia, Liam Delap, and Cole Palmer.
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Given the success of other English talents in the Bundesliga like Jadon Sancho, Jude Bellingham and Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, a move to Germany will be appealing. The league is at a high standard and will provide the game time that he needs at this stage of his career.
