Pep Guardiola loves £30m star who Nuno Espirito Santo and West Ham want to sign
Pep Guardiola is a huge fan of West Ham target James McAtee.
The midfielder played under the legendary Spanish manager 34 times in his stint with Manchester City.
The Hammers are looking for players who can make a difference in attack and help secure an immediate return to the Premier League.
The Daily Mail reported in its print edition on Monday that West Ham are targeting an "ambitious" move for McAtee.
He has already worked under Nuno Espirito Santo, who signed him for £30million, when he was in charge of Nottingham Forest.
Guardiola has already given the perfect reference to the Irons as they eye a deal for the former Etihad Stadium youngster.
What did Pep Guardiola say about James McAtee?
Guardiola constantly confirmed his desire to keep the 23-year-old midfielder when he was City manager.
Speaking in January 2025, he said: "I would like to say categorically yes [he'll stay], but I don't know.
"I would love him to stay. I was the one that said, 'Don't go on loan, stay.'"
He then maintained that stance in April 2025, when he said: "For the age I would like him to stay.
"I understand the players want more minutes. I would like him to stay, he's an academy player, he knows the patterns, he's a lovely person, a lovely guy.
"He trains really good, plays in different positions. I like him but... we will see."
Ultimately, the player moved for the good of his career, but it is clear that Guardiola rated him very highly, but just could not find a place in his side regularly enough.
What do McAtee's numbers say about potential West Ham man?
McAtee played 14 matches for Forest last season, with one assist in that time, in a rocky campaign at the City Ground.
He created six chances, took four shots and completed three dribbles in those games, per Fotmob data.
While those numbers may not provide much encouragement for Hammers supporters, he was affected by the high managerial turnover and there is a better player in there.
He has already shown that he can perform in the Championship, as he played 37 matches on loan with Sheffield United in the 2022-23 season.
He scored nine goals and notched three assists in the second tier and created 35 chances in the division.
If he can pick that form back up, if he joins Nuno's side, it will help their promotion push massively and perhaps unlock Jarrod Bowen and new attacking additions to perform better.
He is yet to live up to the hype from Guardiola, but he likely will in future, and the E20 side could be the beneficiaries if they can strike a deal to bring him to the London Stadium.