Southampton are keen to strike a deal for Manchester City starlet James McAtee this summer, according to reports.

Who is James McAtee?

McAtee is primarily a central midfielder who has played his football at the Etihad Stadium since his childhood days having worked his way up through the club’s academy ranks. Last season he was sent out on loan to Sheffield United, where he made 21 starts in the Championship and helped them achieve promotion back to the Premier League.

The England youth international has only ever made six senior appearances for Pep Guardiola so it’s clear that another temporary development move would do him the world of good to get more regular minutes under his belt again, but as it stands, his future is unclear.

When asked during a public interview in pre-season about whether he's likely to stay and fight for his place for the new campaign, the 20-year-old said:

“I think that’s the plan so far but I’m not too sure. I’ll have to wait until we get back home. I’ve not really had talks with him (Pep). He’s been busy with a lot of things. They’ve been busy celebrating the triple, which I’m over the moon for them about. He just said, to get your head down and work hard in pre-season."

Are Southampton signing James McAtee?

According to The Daily Mail, Southampton, Wolves, Brighton, Celtic, Real Sociedad, Sheffield United and AZ Alkmaar are all “interested” in securing the services of McAtee this summer. Man City are “reluctant” to let their youth product leave but know that they are “facing a decision” on whether to keep him or let him go as a result of his lack of game time.

The ‘Salford Silva’ is “eager to build” on his previous loan with the Blades, and as for the potential suitors named above, some are “willing to bid for a permanent move” and others are willing to “take him on loan”.

The left-footed ace scored during the club’s 2-1 victory over Bayern Munich in July which shows what he’s capable of, though where he’ll be plying his trade during the 2023/24 campaign remains to be seen.

How many goals has James McAtee scored?

Since the start of his career, McAtee has posted an incredible 88 goal contributions (55 goals and 33 assists) in 138 appearances which has seen him dubbed a “top talent” by football scout Jacek Kulig, so he could be an extremely exciting signing should he move to the St. Mary’s Stadium.

Man City’s £10k-per-week earner also ranks in the 98th percentile for most attacking touches in the opposition’s penalty area and the 95th percentile for successful take-ons, highlighting his desire to get involved with the action in the final third and to dribble past his marker to create chances for himself and his fellow teammates.

Finally, McAtee would provide Russell Martin with excellent versatility having been deployed in six different positions since first bursting onto the scene, including four roles in the midfield, as a second striker and even at centre-forward, so should the opportunity present itself, this is a no-brainer of a deal for the hierarchy to complete.