Recently-promoted Premier League side Leicester City are expected to do business with Manchester City during the upcoming summer market, a new report has revealed.
The Foxes and Citizens are certainly no strangers to one another when it comes to discussions and negotiations over the exchange of squad figures, having come to various agreements over the past couple of seasons.
The most recent dealings between Manchester City and Leicester have seen both a central defender and new head coach going the way of the King Power Stadium, with Callum Doyle joining the club on a season-long loan.
Enzo Maresca also called time on his career as assistant coach to Pep Guardiola ahead of the ongoing season, taking up the top job at Leicester City, only to guide them to Premier League promotion from the Championship at the first time of asking.
Now, according to the information of Manchester City insider ‘Tolmie’s Hairdoo’ on X, Leicester are ‘likely’ to do business with Etihad Stadium officials during the upcoming summer transfer window.
Relaying information originally from journalist Alan Nixon, it is further explained that the Foxes ‘fancy’ James McAtee, with a deal for the highly-rated playmaker – who spent the ongoing season on loan at Sheffield United – now ‘much easier to do’.
The report suggests that an initial transfer fee in excess of £20 million, plus the instalment of a sell-on and buy-back clause should be enough to wrap up an agreement for the England youth international.
As well as the future of James McAtee, Manchester City also have a long list of other names to resolve respective futures in the summer market, including the likes of Josh Wilson-Esbrand, Maximo Perrone, and Kalvin Phillips.
The latter is currently spending the remainder of the season with West Ham United. However, given his misfortune working under David Moyes, City are unlikely to integrate him back into their first-team squad, and could instead explore a permanent exit.
Should Leeds United secure promotion back into the Premier League this season, then Phillips is likely to be open to an emotional return to Elland Road, following a difficult one-and-a-half seasons with Pep Guardiola and Manchester City, despite the trophy success.
