Big decision made as Leeds United given 'green light' to pursue £25m transfer target - fresh rival emerges

Leeds United are among a growing list of clubs to be linked with James McAtee and reports suggest Manchester City will listen to offers for their academy star this summer.

McAtee was a known target for Leeds last summer, with former CEO Angus Kinnear naming the City star on a shortlist of options to compete with Brenden Aaronson at No.10. In the end, there was no new arrival in that position but it is expected to become a priority again once the transfer window opens in June, with extra quality needed for Premier League survival.

The Mirror reported on fresh interest in McAtee over the weekend, with Leeds one of five named teams thought to be keeping tabs on the 22-year-old - the others being Bayer Leverkusen, Nottingham Forest, West Ham United and Crystal Palace. But the newspaper added more than a dozen clubs are also in the race and a fresh potential rival has now been named.

GiveMeSport claim Tottenham Hotspur have joined the race for McAtee, with manager Ange Postecoglou ‘showing interest’ in the attacking midfielder who looks set to leave City. It remains to be seen if the Australian will even be in charge in North London beyond this season but tabs are being kept on City’s academy graduate, having been impressed by his exploits in the FA Cup.

McAtee earned just his third Premier League start of the season at already relegated Southampton on Saturday, a disappointing trip that ended 0-0, and the youngster’s 15 appearances in the league have totalled just 349 minutes. The No.10 has been an influential figure in the FA Cup, however, and could start in the final against Crystal Palace later this month.

Man City ‘open to offers’ for Leeds United transfer target James McAtee

Interestingly for Leeds and other prospective suitors, City appear to have given McAtee the ‘green light’ to move on as Etihad chiefs plan for a huge summer rebuild following their most disappointing campaign in recent memory. The report suggests they could be ‘open to offers’ for the £25million-rated midfielder, whose place in Pep Guardiola’s first-team plans is already in doubt.

The Mirror also reported McAtee could be available for around £25m, a price-tag which would fit into Leeds' apparent budget. Sky Sports claimed earlier this month Daniel Farke will have up to £30m to spend on four key positions, with a transfer war chest of potentially more than £100m in total.

Guardiola has recently outlined his desire to keep McAtee on board but acknowledged the England Under-21 international’s desire to play regularly, something that simply isn’t happening at boyhood club City. And plans to overhaul midfield and attacking areas in Manchester will only see minutes reduced further.

City have already been linked with serious interest in AC Milan’s Tijjani Reijnders, Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White, and Florian Wirtz of Bayer Leverkusen, the latter two of whom operate in McAtee’s attacking midfield position. That Forest and Leverkusen are also interested in McAtee could present an issue to teams like Leeds, though, given it could strengthen their negotiating stance that City want one of their own stars.

Your next Leeds United read: 16 Ex-Whites set for Elland Road return next season with mixed receptions expected