Leeds eye loan move for Man City star dubbed ‘quality’ by Pep Guardiola

Leeds United are lining up a loan move for Manchester City attacking midfielder James McAtee, according to reports. 

The Whites emerged from the summer transfer window almost unrecognisable, with the likes of Joe Rodon, Largie Ramazani, Jayden Bogle and Manor Solomon coming in to replace big departures like Archie Gray, Crysencio Summerville and Georginio Rutter.

However, former Leeds boss Simon Grayson still believes Daniel Farke is short of a quality No.10.

“Before the transfer window closed I said Leeds needed a creative No.10 to pull the strings in midfield,” Grayson told The Football League Paper. “I still think that’s the case, if only to add competition for places, but there’s more than enough quality in that team to win promotion.”

“What they really need is a bit of composure and ruthlessness in that final third. Time and again you see them dominate pressure and chances, but it’s like they’re always trying to score the perfect goal. They’ve not scored from outside the box for a long time. They’ve not scored off a set-piece for months and months. You don’t always have to walk the ball into the net.”

McAtee was a name regularly linked with Leeds over the summer following an impressive two seasons on loan at Yorkshire rivals Sheffield United, where he notched 14 goals and eight assists in 75 appearances across all competitions.

Leeds CEO Angus Kinnear even confirmed the club’s interest in the 21-year-old during an interview with The Square Ball earlier in September.

“We were looking at McAtee at Man City,” Kinnear said. “There was talk he might be released all the way through the window and then Pep decided to keep him.”

Relaying Kinnear’s quotes, Leeds Live stated that a loan move for McAtee in January is ‘not out of the question’.

Guardiola ‘quality’ McAtee to come to Leeds?

Given Pep Guardiola’s recent comments about McAtee and why he wasn’t allowed to leave on loan in the summer, Leeds fans should be excited at the prospect of their club pursuing him once again.

“When you play in the small spaces, attack the goal, McAtee has this quality in small spaces. That’s why I said to Txiki I don’t want to loan him out because we need him,” Guardiola said just after McAtee played 80 minutes in City’s Community Shield win over Manchester United.

However, since then, McAtee has played just one minute of Premier League football, alongside a full 90 against Watford in the EFL Cup.

Top photo by Lewis Storey/Getty Images