Ajax wants to do business with Manchester City if Kudus leaves
Wednesday, August 16, 2023 at 1:28 PM
Ajax has set its sights on the arrival of James McAtee if Mohammed Kudus cannot be retained for the club, writes Fabrizio Romano. The 20-year-old midfielder is under contract with Manchester City, where he is still committed until mid-2026. Kudus has been increasingly linked with a move to West Ham United, as the Hammers threaten to lose Lucas Paquetá to City.
McAtee is an English midfielder who usually plays an attacking role. The Manchester City youth product is the younger brother of John McAtee and was loaned to Sheffield United last season. There he came to 43 official games in all competitions, in which he managed to score 9 times and was the principal 4 times. It is not known whether it concerns a definitive takeover or a lease with a possible option to buy.
At Ajax, people are not sure that Kudus can still be admired in the Johan Cruijff ArenA next year, so the market is being explored in the search for a replacement. It is not very surprising that the eye fell on McAtee. Ajax already did business with City this window in the person of Carlos Forbs (who came over for 14 million euros) and has a head scout in Kelvin de Lang who has close contacts with the English superpower. De Lang was a top scout at City for many years.
McAtee went through the youth academy of Manchester City, where he played for Manchester City Under 23 in the Premier League 2 in the 2020/21 and 2021/22 seasons. He became champion in both seasons. McAtee finished the 2021/22 season joint top goalscorer in the league with 18 goals in 23 games and was voted Player of the Year. He also played in the Youth League that year, where he managed to score 4 times in 3 games.
On behalf of the main squad of the Citizens, the counter is currently at seven official games. McAtee made his official debut in the Premier League in November 2021 in a 3-0 win against Everton. He also made playing minutes in the FA Cup and the Champions League that season. In the 116 minutes that he came into action in total, he was unable to record a hit or assist.
2023-08-16 17:32:00
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