Pep Guardiola issues significant update on James McAtee’s Manchester City future amid transfer speculation | OneFootball

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is expecting to retain James McAtee in his squad beyond the transfer window, despite widespread speculation on the midfielder.

The attacking midfielder opted to remain at the Etihad Stadium during the last summer transfer window off the back of successive season-long loan spells with Sheffield United, starring in both the Championship and Premier League for the Blades.

However, with uncertainty over the number of players available in central positions, Pep Guardiola made a concerted effort to retain McAtee as part of his first-team squad by issuing such a demand to sporting director Txiki Begiristain.

But after a first-half to the season that has seen the Academy graduate limited to only a handful of starts and first-team opportunities as a whole, clubs across Europe aimed to take advantage of the situation McAtee finds himself in within Pep Guardiola’s squad.

Among the clubs linked with interest over the last few weeks were Bundesliga sides including Borussia Dortmund, Mainz, and Bayer Leverkusen, with the latter reportedly making a formal approach to City over a loan deal with obligation to buy in the summer.

Now, speaking during a pre-match press conference on Friday afternoon ahead of Manchester City’s trip to face Arsenal in the Premier League, Pep Guardiola revealed his belief that James McAtee is “going to stay” at the Etihad Stadium beyond the ongoing transfer window.

“I don’t think so (whether there will be any offers for McAtee this month)… We don’t have enough players. We have a World Cup at the end of the season. We have a lot of games,” said Guardiola.

“I think he can play more minutes, and for minutes they have to continue to fight and I’m really pleased of Macca. But, at the same time, maybe there arrives an offer for the club that they say, ‘Listen, we have to sell him!’

“My opinion of Macca, I said to the club, is really clear. But always it’s the club, and the club has to take resources and sell players, and it depends on what happens.”

Continuing on the subject of potential frustration over a lack of match action consistently throughout the season so far, Pep Guardiola was empathetic towards the 22-year-old, but insisted once more that Manchester City “need” McAtee.

“Of course I understand his frustration. Absolutely. I understand, I was a football player, and have incredible empathy to feel what he can feel. But the same happens for other players,” said the Catalan coach.

“And they have to be ready, and their best, and we don’t want anyone unsatisfied, you know my opinion on that. But in the middle of the season, with the problems that we had, I have the feeling that we need him! I need him, it’s simple!”

James McAtee has seen an up-turn in chances to impress in recent weeks, scoring a hat-trick against Salford City in the FA Cup third round and notching his first Premier League goal for the club as part of an away win over Ipswich Town.