Why West Ham are ready to smash Championship transfer record with £30m James McAtee bid
West Ham United are reportedly making their move to sign Nottingham Forest's James McAtee.
So far this summer, West Ham's transfer story has been about player losses and just how much Nuno Espirito Santo's squad will be ravaged after Premier League relegation.
Mateus Fernandes has already been snapped up by Tottenham, and there remains the potential for the likes of Jarrod Bowen and Crysencio Summerville to make big-money exits too.
However, West Ham chiefs may be about to shift that narrative on its head, and Nottingham Forest attacking midfielder McAtee could help the Hammers light their first bright beacon of transfer intent.
With only 46 goals scored in the Premier League last term, Nuno was always going to be looking to sharpen his sides' cutting edge this summer regardless of possible departures.
And what better way to do that by potentially setting a new Championship transfer record on a former Premier League winner with Manchester City.
West Ham ready to pounce on 'open to move' James McAtee
The Daily Mail reported in its print edition earlier this week that West Ham have identified McAtee as an "ambitious" transfer target.
Fans often roll their eyes at such labels being placed on potential signings, with the implication often being not to expect anything.
However, West Ham fans won't accept anything less than an instant return to the Premier League next season, and that will be putting pressure on Irons chiefs to show transfer ambition this summer in terms of recruitment.
As a result, a fresh report from TEAMtalk suggests that this is set to be displayed, as they claim that West Ham have entered talks with Nottingham Forest over a deal for McAtee.
The 23-year-old was actually signed for Forest by Nuno last summer in a £30million deal, but would only make 14 Premier League appearances in 2025-26, culminating in a mere 289 minutes of league football.
It's now claimed that the former Man City academy graduate is ready for a new challenge away from the City Ground, and that the Hammers are one of a number of sides looking to pounce.
This report states that it's their understanding that West Ham see McAtee as someone who can "reshape" their attacking midfield department, and that sources are indicating a £30m fee could get a deal done.
McAtee is claimed to be interested in a switch to the London Stadium too, with the idea of becoming a key player for the Irons being a tempting prospect for him.
Should it indeed be a £30m fee that gets a deal done, then it would shatter the current Championship transfer record set by Ipswich Town last summer, when they signed Sindre Walle Egeli for £17.5m.
McAtee has already proven he's a class above in the Championship
If West Ham do splash out on a record deal for McAtee, Hammers fans will want to feel confident that their club won't be making an expensive and infamously expensive mistake.
The way McAtee's move to Forest has gone so far might just instil some fear in that respect, but Irons supporters should worry not, as the England youth international has already shone at Championship level.
McAtee was loaned out to Sheffield United for the 2022-23 season whilst still a Man City player, and he established himself as a star player for the Blades that year.
He scored nine goals and chipped in with three assists from 37 second-tier appearances, and he was also named as United's Young Player of the Year for that season.
As per FotMob, he averaged 4.59 touches in the opposition box and 1.84 successful dribbles per game in the Championship in 2022-23, whilst also creating 1.66 chances and taking 2.03 shots per 90 as well.
No player in his position scored more than his nine goals that season either, with his 0.43 goals per 90 average also being the best of any Championship attacking midfielder.
McAtee would be expensive, but he's a proven performer at Championship level, and should be hungry to prove his doubters wrong and get back to playing regular football.