James McAtee Manchester City exit development emerges amid West Ham United links
West Ham and Fulham are both in the hunt to sign James McAtee from Manchester City, according to the Guardian.
The news outlet reported on 18 November that the defending Premier League champions and regular Champions League participants are open to selling their homegrown players.
Chelsea also wanted to sign the midfielder in the summer and he will cost north of £20million in the January transfer window.
West Ham are unlikely to be able to afford James McAtee
Spending over £20million on McAtee, a player with limited Premier League experience, seems like a risky investment for the Hammers, especially after their substantial summer expenditures.
The 22-year-old’s situation at Manchester City, where he’s been on the fringes of the first team, does not provide the confidence of a significant immediate impact in the top flight.
His potential is evident, but the price tag seems steep for someone whose top-flight exposure is almost non-existent.
For West Ham, another large outlay might not be feasible or wise under Financial Fair Play rules.
Also, a big decision needs to be made on whether or not Julen Lopetegui is the right man for the job.
If not, he’ll have to be sacked and he’s also not going to go without getting handsomely compensated for it.
In other West Ham news, the club are in a six-horse race with their Premier League rivals to sign a striker and have already tabled a bid.
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