Leeds United transfer blow as £126m decision opens door for Champions League move - enquiries made

Leeds United have been dealt a fresh blow in their reported pursuit of James McAtee who has been the subject of ‘several enquiries’ from the Bundesliga, according to reports.

McAtee was a known target for Leeds last summer with former CEO Angus Kinnear naming him alongside the likes of Emi Buendia and Fabio Carvalho as possible targets to fill the No.10 position. In the end, no one was brought in and Daniel Farke leaned heavily on the returning Brenden Aaronson, but added quality in that role is expected to be a priority again this summer.

As such, reports emerged earlier this month suggesting Leeds will reignite interest in McAtee ahead of their Premier League return, with it looking increasingly likely the 22-year-old will leave Manchester City in search of more regular football. But competition for his signature will be fierce.

The report linking McAtee with a possible move to Elland Road also named the likes of Nottingham Forest and West Ham United as possible rivals, while Bayer Leverkusen are long-term admirers. And now Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg reports on growing interest from the Bundesliga.

James McAtee latest amid Leeds United transfer links

In a post on X, Plettenberg claimed McAtee had received ‘several enquiries’ from the German top-flight, naming Leverkusen as a club who are ‘still keen’. The 2023/24 Bundesliga champions must first appoint a new head coach before making any transfer moves, however, with current boss Xabi Alonso set to join Real Madrid.

But there is also likely to be a huge No.10-shaped hole in the Leverkusen squad, with academy star Florian Wirtz widely expected to leave. McAtee’s current club City have recently pulled out of talks but a move to either Bayern Munich or Liverpool remains on the cards, with reports suggesting the 22-year-old German international could cost a whopping £126million.

That could open the door for Leverkusen to intensify their pursuit of McAtee but it appears they are not the only Bundesliga side weighing up a move for the City prospect. And Plettenberg adds a number of Premier League clubs are also monitoring the situation, although no names are mentioned.

Reports have suggested City will let McAtee leave for somewhere between £20-30m this season, having not yet offered an extension to his current contract which runs out next summer. Manager Pep Guardiola is expected to oversee a squad overhaul and earlier this week threatened to quit if Etihad chiefs didn’t reduce the size of his current group.

For McAtee, the priority will surely be regular football given he has started just three Premier League games all season. The attacking midfielder’s only notable influence came in the FA Cup but he was benched for the quarter-final, suspended for the semi and left out of the squad entirely for last weekend’s 1-0 final defeat against Crystal Palace.

McAtee was then left out again for City’s 3-1 win over Bournemouth on Tuesday evening and may well have played his last game for the club. It remains to be seen if Leeds do move for the No.10 but there will be no shortage of competition.

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