Manchester City midfielder books visit to Bundesliga giants as transfer exit looms | OneFootball

A visit to Eintracht Frankfurt has now been pencilled in for Manchester City midfielder James McAtee as soon as next week, according to reports.

After a season spent gaining senior experience for the first time under Pep Guardiola, the 22-year-old now appears to be exploring opportunities abroad as part of the next step in his career development.

The Salford-born midfielder, who enjoyed back-to-back loan spells with Sheffield United, has long been touted as one of the most technically gifted players to emerge from Manchester City’s youth ranks in recent years.

Despite showing flashes of quality in both the Championship and Premier League, McAtee has largely struggled to find consistent first-team minutes under Pep Guardiola, mostly due to the extraordinary depth and competition for places in City’s midfield.

With a cluster of senior names like Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, Mateo Kovačić, and Phil Foden ahead of him in last season’s pecking order, McAtee faced a difficult challenge in breaking into the starting line-up on a regular basis.

City, for their part, have been known to entertain buy-back clauses and structured deals for academy graduates, allowing them to develop elsewhere with a potential path back to the Etihad Stadium should they excel.

Now, speculation is beginning to intensify around James McAtee’s next move — and it could come outside of England altogether, despite interest in his services from within the Premier League and Serie A.

According to the information of Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg, James McAtee has now planned a visit to Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt next week, with the aim of getting to know the club and holding talks over a potential transfer.

The report clarifies that the visit to the German side is not a medical test, with there currently being no agreement in place for the Manchester City midfielder, amid ongoing interest from Borussia Dortmund among other Bundesliga clubs also interested.

From the side of Eintracht Frankfurt, it is explained that the club want to check whether a transfer for McAtee can ‘actually be realised’ this summer with ‘several’ options for the position in their squad, while the race for the Manchester City man’s signature is described as ‘open’.

The latest development adds further intrigue to McAtee’s summer, especially given Eintracht Frankfurt’s reputation for nurturing young talent themselves and giving minutes to technical, attack-minded midfielders.

Borussia Dortmund’s name in the mix will surely attract attention, with their track record of giving prospects a platform to shine — Jadon Sancho and Jude Bellingham being two prime examples.

Should James McAtee seriously consider the Signal Iduna Park, it could fast-track his development and exposure on the European stage. For Manchester City, the decision may come down to the structure of any proposed deal.

The club is typically reluctant to lose control over high-potential academy players without some form of buy-back or sell-on clause, especially in the case of talents like McAtee who have shown Premier League-level quality.

As it stands, the situation remains fluid. McAtee’s planned visit to Frankfurt may not result in an immediate agreement, but it does signal intent from both parties. A permanent move to Germany — if realised — could represent a bold but potentially rewarding step in his career.