Exclusive: Wolves interested in signing £25m Man City hotshot but face competition from Leeds United

Wolverhampton Wanderers are interested in signing Manchester City attacking midfielder James McAtee this summer but face widespread competition.

Birmingham World has been informed by a source close to the club that Wolves have added McAtee to their shortlist of summer targets. The Old Gold are expected to lose Matheus Cunha to Manchester United for £62.5 million and Pablo Sarabia looks likely to leave at the end of his contract, so a new attacking midfielder is required – or perhaps two.

The Wanderers hierarchy believe McAtee is already good enough to start for the club and feel the midfielder has huge potential to tap into. It awaits to be seen just how high a fee Man City would demand for their academy product, but speculation elsewhere suggests around £25 million would do the job. That doesn’t sound too unrealistic, in fairness, as City would lose him for free next summer.

It won’t be easy for Wolves to sign McAtee, however, as they face stiff competition from a host of fellow Premier League clubs, as well as teams from abroad. Newcastle United, Nottingham Forest, West Ham United, Crystal Palace and Leeds United have all been linked in recent months, while Bayer Leverkusen, Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig, Fiorentina and Bologna have all been credited with interest.

McAtee has enjoyed a breakthrough season in the City senior team as he’s made nine starts and had regular opportunities off the bench. The 22-year-old has scored seven goals in 936 minutes across all competitions, impressing most with a hat-trick in the 8-0 thrashing of Salford City in the FA Cup back in November.

Sheffield United played a key role in McAtee’s early development as the Blades hosted the promising talent for two seasons. Two successive loan spells, the first in the Championship and the second in the Premier League, saw McAtee contribute 14 goals and eight assists in 75 appearances for the Blades.

It’s been a great experience for McAtee to force himself into Pep Guardiola’s plans, but this summer feels like a crossroads moment for the England under-21 international. McAtee’s contract expires in June 2026 and his game time is only increasing steadily. The Cityzens are expected to spend big this summer, too, so McAtee could fall back into a bit-part role at the club if he’s not careful.

How could James McAtee fit in at Wolves?

If Wanderers were to see off the competition to land McAtee, he could become a regular starter right away. The expected exits of Cunha and Sarabia open up an immediate spot on either side of Jorgen Strand Larsen, as head coach Vitor Pereira likes to operate with one striker and two wide attacking midfielders.

It’s likelier that McAtee would play off the right as he’s left-footed and could cut in, much like Sarabia. His eye for a pass and proven clinical finishing in front of goal could work in Wolves’ favour as Pereira backs his wide forwards to get in on the scoring just as often as Strand Larsen. If Wanderers can pull it off, McAtee could be a shrewd addition.