Nottingham Forest are closing in on the signing of Manchester City youngster James McAtee. Fabrizio Romano reports that the deal will be for over £20m, with personal terms agreed and confirmation of the signing expected relatively soon. Forest will be glad to capture the signing of a highly rated young player, especially from a City academy which has seen many players thrive after leaving the club.
🚨🌳 EXCLUSIVE: Nottingham Forest are closing in on James McAtee deal with Manchester City!
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 11, 2025
Agreement at the final stages for fee in excess of £20m, #NFFC confident to get it done… here we go, expected soon. pic.twitter.com/f2IaMqPHJF
Why City are letting McAtee leave
James McAtee has always been rated highly by those around City, including manager Pep Guardiola who said in January “...he was one of the biggest talents at the academy from the generation of Jadon Sancho, Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers and Liam Delap. He played with these guys and was the captain of them.” But despite this approval from the Catalan, McAtee has always felt out of touching distance of really making an impact on the team. He spent two seasons at Sheffield United, including one in the Premier League, before returning to be a part of City’s squad for the first time last season. He made 27 appearances in all competitions, scoring 7 times including an FA Cup hat-trick in City’s 8-0 dismantling of Salford. This is alright for a young player, but with City bringing in reinforcements like Rayan Cherki, with McAtee’s contract expiring next summer, and with the club needing to trim the squad before the season begins, it feels like the right time for him to leave.
Why Forest want McAtee
Nottingham Forest will be excited by the prospect of signing a highly rated young midfielder, especially at what could end up being a relatively cheap price. Forest are heading for a European tour, qualifying for the Europa League courtesy of Crystal Palace’s demotion to the Conference League, confirmed this morning. With the extra fixtures, Forest will be keen to reinforce the squad in order to avoid a drop off in league position while fighting on multiple fronts. Furthering Forest’s joy at the signing will be McAtee’s choosing them over a number of other options, including offers from a number of Bundesliga clubs. Forest will take McAtee choosing them as a sign of the legitimacy of their project, signalling an increase in reputation following their success last season.
Conclusion
Ultimately, aspects of this deal will suit all parties. McAtee will be happy to play for a club that is more likely to give him a chance to shine on the biggest stage, Forest will be happy to reinforce their squad ahead of what could be an exciting but challenging season, and City will be happy to cash in on a player they weren’t planning on using and who they would have probably lost on a free transfer in a years time. All that is left to see is if McAtee will follow in the steps of previous City academy graduates such as Morgan Rogers and Cole Palmer, in exploding onto the Premier League scene once they have been given their chance.
