West Ham and Fulham interested in January move for City’s James McAtee

Manchester City’s James McAtee is attracting interest from Fulham and West Ham before the January transfer window. The attacking midfielder has been restricted to just one substitute appearance in the Premier League this season and there is a belief that he could benefit from a move.

McAtee, a product of City’s academy, caught the eye on loan at Sheffield United last year and is being tracked by Fulham and West Ham. The 22-year-old, who could command a fee upwards of £20m, was also being monitored by Chelsea last summer.

The England Under-21 international had hopes of breaking into the City squad at the start of the campaign. But opportunities have been limited, even though Pep Guardiola has been dealing with an injury crisis, and McAtee could need to leave in search of regular football. His only two starts have come in the Carabao Cup, while he scored after coming on as a substitute in City’s win over Slovan Bratislava in the Champions League last month.

McAtee is still highly regarded at City and they have not ruled out offering him a new deal, with his current contract due to expire in the summer of 2026. Equally City have not been averse to selling homegrown talents in recent years, especially as doing so helps their position with the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules.

West Ham have struggled in midfield this season, both from a physical and creative perspective. Lucas Paquetá, their star player, has been underwhelming. The Brazil midfielder has been charged with a breach of the Football Association’s betting regulations. Paquetá denies the charge.

It remains to be seen if West Ham, who have used the international break to assess the managerial situation should they decide to sack Julen Lopetegui, will have a big budget in January. They spent over £100m last summer.

Fulham have enjoyed a strong start to the season – Marco Silva’s side are a point off third place – and looked at McAtee last summer. Silva plays an attractive style and has often looked to bring in creative players. Emile Smith Rowe has enjoyed a renaissance since signing from Arsenal last summer.