Ahead of the 2022/23 season, a host of outgoings have occurred in relation to Manchester City’s batch of gifted youngsters.
After impressing on loan at Portsmouth last season, rising goalkeeper talent Gavin Bazunu secured a move to Premier League side Southampton on a permanent deal potentially rising up to £15 million.
CJ-Egan Riley is another name that has left the club and is on the verge of joining Vincent Kompany’s Burnley in the Championship, with Taylor Harwood-Bellis expected to join him as a loan signing for the season.
Samuel Edozie and Romeo Lavia - two extremely highly-rated Manchester City prospects - also look set for permanent moves to Bayer Leverkusen and Southampton respectively.
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Additionally, midfield starlet Darko Gyabi could join Leeds United ahead of next season, for a reported fee in the region of £5 million, with Manchester City's primary central midfield target Kalvin Phillips going the other way.
One name whose plans for the upcoming season still seem uncertain however is none other than James McAtee.
It is clear to see how highly Pep Guardiola rates the 19-year old midfielder, as he made his landmark debuts for the Manchester City first-team across all four competitions last season.
However, it is unlikely that the young prospect can push his fellow midfielders for minutes in the 2022/23 campaign.
With City boasting of the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva and Ilkay Gundogan at their disposal in the middle of the park, McAtee would likely struggle to get a sniff in the side at present.
As a result, the balletic attacker has been linked with a multitude of loan spells next term.
As per a report by Yorkshire Live, Huddersfield Town are interested in signing James McAtee on loan in the summer.
However, this is not the first instance in which the teenager has been heavily speculated with a temporary move to the Championship outfit.
It was earlier stated that the Terriers had an ‘edge’ over other sides in a bid for his loan signature.
Additionally, the player was said to be ‘cleared’ to have a chat with manager Carlos Corberan after his England U-21 came to an end.
Corberan reportedly held ‘talks’ with the Premier League champions to permit the boyhood Manchester City supporter to head out loan to Huddersfield for the coming season.
While getting regular minutes in order to accelerate his development makes sense, it has been previously mentioned that James McAtee could be set for increased first-team football next season.
Much like Phil Foden in how the now England senior regular was bedded into the side as a winger, the same positional treatment could be expected in relation to the unearthed gem.
Despite Huddersfield being known to play a progressive style of football which initially put them in pole position to sign James McAtee, it is likely that he could be destined for bigger things at Manchester City in the 2022/23 campaign.
Topics: James McAtee, Manchester City, Manchester City Transfer News & Rumours, Premier League, Football, Transfers, EFL Championship, Huddersfield Town, Huddersfield
Srinivas Sadhanand