Nottingham Forest have agreed a deal with Manchester City for James McAtee in a package worth £30million.
The deal for the 22-year-old midfielder also includes a sell-on and buy-back clause.
The Athletic reported on August 11 that Forest were close to a deal for the City academy graduate. McAtee, whose City contract is set to expire next summer, was subject to interest from clubs in England and Germany, with Eintracht Frankfurt among his admirers.
He is viewed by Forest as capable of operating as No 8 or a No 10, helping to reinforce Forest’s midfield after the departures of Danilo to Botafogo and Lewis O’Brien to Wrexham.
The midfielder started just three times for City last season in the Premier League but made 27 appearances in all competitions, scoring seven goals.
McAtee has been at City over a decade, and joined the club as a child and coming through the club’s youth setup to make his senior debut in September 2021, coming on as a substitute in a 6-1 win over Wycombe Wanderers in the Carabao Cup.
He was loaned to Championship side Sheffield United for the 2022-23 season, helping the side achieve promotion to the Premier League. He rejoined the club for the following campaign, recording five goals and four assists in all competitions.
McAtee returned to City for the 2024-25 season, scoring his first goal in a 4-0 Champions League win over Slovan Bratislava in the league phase of the competition. He made 34 appearances in total for the first team, scoring seven goals.
Forest get their Premier League season underway when they host Brentford on Sunday. Nuno Espirito Santo’s side will play in the Europa League this season after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) dismissed Crystal Palace’s appeal against their demotion to the Conference League on Monday.
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