Nottingham Forest’s stance on offloading James McAtee has been revealed, with West Ham United identifying the midfielder as a top target.
McAtee remained behind Ibrahim Sangare and Elliot Anderson for large parts of the 2025-26 campaign. However, with the latter joining Manchester City, there may be more opportunities for game time next season.
Former City boss Pep Guardiola has suggested the Englishman has more than enough to succeed in the Premier League, saying: “He’s an exceptional guy and he has special talent.
“When he plays close to the opposition, he has an incredible sense of goal. His work ethic is unbelievable and he is aggressive. Today was not easy. He was man marked in the middle. I’m really pleased for him.”
However, a move to the Championship could be in the offing, with the Hammers searching for a new midfielder following Mateus Fernandes’ departure to Tottenham Hotspur.
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Football FanCast’s Verdict |
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Credibility |
Nuno may want to bring in proven Championship players following the Irons’ relegation, and McAtee fits the bill, picking up nine goals and three assists in 37 matches for Sheffield United during the 2022-23 campaign. |
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Finances |
The Englishman joined Forest in a £30m deal last summer, which suggests he could be affordable for West Ham, who raised £85m from selling Fernandes to their London rivals. |
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Insight |
The 23-year-old has primarily featured in an attacking midfield role throughout his career to date, and he scored seven goals in 34 senior matches for Man City prior to signing for Forest permanently. |
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Impact |
McAtee is being eyed as a replacement for Fernandes, who was one of the Hammers’ main attacking threats last season, creating 37 chances in the Premier League. At U23 level, the Salford-born midfielder picked up 19 assists in 52 matches for City, indicating he could also be deployed as a playmaker. |
Nottingham Forest’s stance on selling James McAtee
According to a report from the print edition of The Daily Mail on Monday (via West Ham Zone), West Ham are now preparing an ambitious move for McAtee, and new sporting director Nils Koppen is known to be a big fan, having identified him as a top target.
However, Forest may be unwilling to sanction a sale, as the ex-Man City man is ‘highly regarded’ at the City Ground, and Oliver Glasner using two attacking midfielders has made them even more reluctant to cash-in.
James McAtee could be coup at Championship level
It was far from an ideal debut campaign at the City Ground for the midfielder, who racked up just 289 minutes of game time across 14 Premier League appearances.
However, while he is yet to really prove himself in the top flight, the former Sheffield United star is more than capable in the second tier.
En-route to the Blades securing promotion in the 2022-23 season, McAtee averaged 0.43 goals per 90, which placed him behind just Oli McBurnie in the Sheffield United squad.
West Ham may need to sign a consistent goalscorer, as there are still doubts surrounding the future of Jarrod Bowen, who has found the net 85 times in 280 appearances.
McAtee fits the bill, but he is also capable of playing in a deeper role, and could be a versatile option for Nuno.
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