Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola admits he is desperate to prevent rising star James McAtee from becoming their next Cole Palmer.
The winter transfer window closes on Monday, February 3 and the highly-rated McAtee has been linked with several Premier League clubs, including Fulham and Newcastle. City want to hand the Salford-born midfielder a new long-term contract after he reportedly rejected bids worth £30m last summer.
McAtee, 22, has entered the final 18 months of his current deal and faces a dilemma over his future. His lack of playing time under Guardiola has fueled suggestions that he could follow in the footsteps of Chelsea star Palmer and leave City for pastures new.
His value was further enhanced on Sunday when he scored his first Premier League goal for City in their brutal 6-0 defeat to Ipswich. Just minutes after the final whistle, Guardiola made it clear how desperate he is to keep McAtee at the club.
“He's such a good footballer and a nice guy. Quite similar qualities to Phil [Foden]', the City boss noted. 'It's not easy if you don't get a lot of minutes for your self-confidence. Hopefully we can keep James for many years to come.”
McAtee could find minutes even more difficult to find in the second half of the season, with Guardiola's men winning four of their last five games and scoring a total of 22 goals. Etihad's chiefs are also expected to welcome a host of new signings over the next two weeks, including Omar Marmousch from Eintracht Frankfurt.
City will pay a fixed fee of €75 million plus a further €5 million in bonuses for the 25-year-old Egyptian striker. They are also believed to be closing in on Lens defender Abdukodir Khusanov, Palmeiras centre-back Vitor Reis and Juventus full-back Andrea Cambiaso, taking their potential winter spending to a cool £190m.
Kyle Walker is expected to be the only major departure before the window slams shut, with AC Milan interested in the City right-back. Milan chief Zlatan Ibrahimovic has confirmed talks are underway, telling DAZN: “Everyone knows Walker is a great player, he has done great things at City.
“When there is someone like him on the market, there is a lot of interest. It doesn't go against our vision because he is strong, he is a leader, he has dominance in the dressing room. Now we see if that is the case.” possible.”
Guardiola remained tight-lipped when asked about the England international's future, replying: “If Ibrahimovic said that, Ibrahimovic said that.”
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