Manchester City’s refusal to budge on their £40 million valuation of James McAtee is creating a stalemate with Nottingham Forest. Despite McAtee having only one year left on his contract and the market valuing him lower, City insists on their price, potentially leading to a summer transfer battle.
Manchester City has slapped a hefty £40 million price tag on highly-rated midfielder James McAtee, according to TBR, cooling the interest from Nottingham Forest. Forest's initial bid of £25 million has fallen significantly short of City's valuation for the 22-year-old Englishman.
McAtee's contract with City expires at the end of next season, and with no new deal in sight, the situation has become a delicate balancing act. Despite scoring seven goals in 34 appearances for the Premier League champions, the fact that he has only 12 months left on his contract is a major factor influencing potential negotiations.
Journalist Graeme Bailey highlighted the disparity between City's valuation and the market's perception: "Man City believe McAtee is worth £40m, but the fact he has only 12 months left on his deal is an issue, and interested clubs think his value is some way off that."
While City maintains that they are under no pressure to sell and will keep McAtee unless their demands are met, McAtee's representatives remain confident a move will happen soon. This leaves the transfer saga far from over, with the coming weeks likely to determine the young midfielder's future.
