Man Utd consider surprise move to sign Man City midfielder

Manchester United are among the sides tracking Manchester City midfielder James McAtee, a report has claimed.

The 22-year-old is highly rated at the Etihad Stadium and has netted seven goals for Pep Guardiola's side this season, but he finds himself at a crossroads this summer as he approaches the final 12 months of his current contract.

McAtee has been tipped to depart City and has been linked with several sides across Europe, with The Telegraph naming United among his numerous suitors.

United are known to be keen on signing at least one new attacking midfielder. But while their current focus is on Wolverhampton Wanderers' Matheus Cunha, there could be multiple additions to Ruben Amorim's squad if any of his current forwards are sold.

That has sparked interest in McAtee, who wants first-team football next season and is likely to entertain interest in his services.

Bayer Leverkusen failed with a £25m bid for McAtee in January but are believed to have retained their interest as a potential replacement for City-linked Florian Wirtz, who could be sold for over £125m.

More recently, Nottingham Forest have expressed an interest in McAtee, once again as a replacement for a City target. Morgan Gibbs-White has been named as a possible heir to Kevin De Bruyne and, while Forest would like to keep their England international, they would be open to signing McAtee if they find themselves needing a new midfielder.

United can offer McAtee the chance to switch clubs without uprooting his family life, although transfers between the two Manchester rivals have been rare in the Premier League era.

Not since free agent Owen Hargreaves in 2011 has a senior player moved from one side of the city to the other. The £500,000 transfer of goalkeeper Tony Coton from City to United in 1996, a very different era, is the last example of the two clubs actually agreeing a transfer fee.

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