Nottingham Forest reach £30m agreement with City for James McAtee | OneFootball

Nottingham Forest have reached an agreement to sign James McAtee from Manchester City in a deal worth up to £30 million.

The package includes an initial £22m fee, performance-related add-ons, a sell-on clause and a buy-back option for City.

The 22-year-old has accepted the move and is expected to undergo a medical before the weekend.

Forest beat competition from Premier League and Bundesliga clubs, with Eintracht Frankfurt among those showing interest.

McAtee’s City contract was due to expire next summer, and with midfield competition increasing following the arrivals of Tijjani Reijnders and Rayan Cherki, his opportunities were set to be limited.

The England Under-21 international made 34 appearances for City last season, scoring seven goals, but he started only three times in the Premier League.

He scored his first senior goal for City in a 4-0 Champions League win over Slovan Bratislava.

A product of City’s academy, McAtee made his senior debut in September 2021 against Wycombe Wanderers in the League Cup.

He spent the 2022-23 season on loan at Sheffield United, helping them win promotion to the Premier League.

McAtee returned to Bramall Lane on loan for 2023-24, recording five goals and four assists in all competitions.

City’s decision to include a buy-back clause mirrors similar approaches with other academy graduates in recent years.

For Forest, the signing signals further ambition following the record £35m arrival of Dan Ndoye from Bologna earlier this summer.

The club are also pursuing Rennes forward Arnaud Kalimuendo and recently agreed a £37.5m fee with Ipswich Town for Omari Hutchinson.

Forest’s summer business has been boosted by the £52m sale of Anthony Elanga to Newcastle United.

The new arrivals will be part of a squad which will play in the Europa League, following the Court of Arbitration for Sport’s dismissal of Crystal Palace’s appeal over European qualification.

Forest open their Premier League campaign at home to Brentford on Sunday.