James McAtee looks to have a bright future at Manchester City after impressing at youth level and being handed a few first-team opportunities as reward for his development, but Martin Blackburn of The Sun says the Premier League have opted against keeping him in and around the first-team next season.
The 19-year-old attacking-midfielder will instead be loaned out of the 2022/23 campaign and Brighton & Hove Albion could be his next destination as City try to sign Marc Cucurella. McAtee is believed to have been offered to the Seagulls as a makeweight in a deal to sign the 23-year-old, but it remains to be seen if Albion accept.
McAtee has risen through the youth ranks to City’s first-team, scoring 14 goals with eight assists from 33 games for the U18s, scoring one goal with one assist from two games for the U19s and scoring 26 goals with 19 assists from 51 games for the U23s. He’s made six appearances at senior level and was in the first-team squad for 24 games this season.
The England U20 international looks to have outgrown the reserves after scoring 17 goals with seven assists in the Premier League 2, so a loan move may serve him well for next season.
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