Tottenham hold key advantage in their pursuit to entice Manchester City attacker

Maddison was Tottenham’s creator-in-chief this past season, unlocking well-drilled defences with his incisive passing, vision and movement. But when the England international was not at his best or injured, Spurs found it difficult to breach teams that defended deep.

Thus, the North London outfit’s links with Manchester City midfielder James McAtee are not surprising. The 22-year-old ended the 2024/25 campaign with seven goals in 27 appearances for Manchester City. Highly rated at the club, the Englishman, though, has not been able to force his way into Pep Guardiola’s starting line-up.

The Sky Blues plan to sell James McAtee this summer, with the playmaker dropped from Pep Guardiola’s squad for this summer’s Club World Cup. This perhaps spells the end of his time at the Etihad Stadium, something Tottenham should look to take advantage of. And, Ex-Spurs scout Bryan King feels Spurs should hold an edge in luring McAtee to North London as they Champions League football to offer.

“The main thing for Tottenham is that they’re in the Champions League,” Bryan King exclusively told Tottenham News.

“Therefore, if McAtee is looking at his football future, he isn’t going to get much better than playing in the Champions League. As a result, I would think this transfer could be of interest.

“However, Tottenham would need to offload players to make this transfer work; they’re overloaded with midfielders at the moment. Also, a decision still needs to be made on Ange Postecoglou, as that decision will impact their transfer dealings.”

Spurs are willing to offload Yves Bissouma in the summer to make room for the addition of a midfielder. McAtee would be a smart signing, adding creativity and directness to Tottenham’s play. He can operate in a variety of roles across midfield and attack, so his versatility could add real value.

The England Under-21 international would also align perfectly with the North London club’s recruitment strategy of targeting young, hungry talent with potential. The main draw for Tottenham will be his €30m valuation, which would be considered a bargain for a player of McAtee’s talent and high ceiling.