Terriers could be perfect for McAtee loan
HUDDERSFIELD AN IDEAL BREEDING GROUND FOR YOUNGSTER
HAVING signed Julian Alvarez and Erling Haaland already, you would expect more departures than arrivals at City between now and the end of the transfer window in September.
The Blues acted swiftly to strengthen their attacking options, landing two highly-rated strikers.
But even though Haaland will be the club’s statement signing of the summer, regardless of who else might join him at the Etihad Stadium, City still have plenty of work to do over the coming months to get Pep Guardiola’s squad in order. That includes trimming the roster, either by permanently offloading players who don’t feature in his plans or sending youngsters who could benefit from regular firstteam football elsewhere out on loan.
A host of Premier League stars have headed out on loan to aid their development including Arsenal’s Emile Smith Rowe, Chelsea duo
Reece James and Mason Mount and Tottenham’s Harry Kane.
They have all played in the Championship at some point in their careers.
At City, several youngsters are banging on the door of the first team, but their chances of playing are blocked by the worldclass talent in front of them.
So the club has some decisions to make on several youngsters looking to make the grade this season, not least on attacking-midfielder James McAtee.
The 19-year-old, who penned his first professional contract at the Etihad Stadium almost two years ago, is considered one of the most exciting talents emerging from the academy, highlighted by the fact he has already made six first-team appearances.
But after scoring 18 goals and grabbing seven assists in 23 Premier League 2 appearances for the
Under-23s last season, there is a growing feeling he could benefit from playing senior football on a regular basis.
His name has been lined with Championship side Huddersfield Town, who tried to take another City player – Tommy Doyle – on loan last season. The Terriers narrowly missed out on promotion last season, losing the Championship play-off final to Nottingham Forest. The West Yorkshire club were one of the surprise packages in the division last term, with head coach Carlos Corberan leading his side to third despite having been tipped for relegation by many having battled against the drop for the two previous seasons.
Their success was built on being structured and well-disciplined, with Chelsea loanee Levi Colwill an invaluable figure in their success. The centre-back arrived at the
John Smith’s Stadium as a relative unknown and has left being described as an England international in waiting.
He benefitted from Corberan’s experience of working in youth football and blossomed under the Spaniard’s management and attitude towards developing young talent.
Unleashing young talent is in Corberan’s DNA and that can only bode well for McAtee as he aims to graduate to the first-team stage if he joins the Terriers this summer.
As well as Colwill benefitting from a loan spell at Huddersfield, Smith Rowe also rose to fame in West Yorkshire in 2019/20 under former Terriers manager Danny Cowley.
It is a club that prides itself on giving youngsters a chance to impress. It also has a reputation for getting the best out of loanees, including former Blues midfielder Aaron Mooy in 2016/17.
Therefore, based on Huddersfield’s most recent success with their loan signings, particularly Colwill, the blueprint has been drawn up for City, if they are to find McAtee a temporary home this summer.
Corberan is in need of a fresh attacking spark and McAtee could provide it, making a possible deal a win-win for all involved.