Ben Foster has claimed Manchester City have a real young talent on their hands who is currently on loan.
City have plenty of youthful loanees who have had fruitful seasons elsewhere.
One of them is Tommy Doyle, who is currently on loan at Wolves.
It was reported in January that Gary O’Neil’s side have the option to sign the Englishman in a deal worth £4.3 million, which they intend to exercise at the end of the season.
Even if Doyle does not return to his boyhood club, he has impressed at the Molineux Stadium, proving to be a calming figure in the middle of the park.
The 22-year-old has an expansive range of passing and quality technique but he also has the work rate and duel-winning ability to thrive as a central midfielder in the Premier League.
Ben Foster says Manchester City have a “fantastic” youngster on loan
Callum Doyle also seems to be thriving under Enzo Maresca’s keen eye on loan at Leicester City.
A massive knee injury derailed the 20-year-old’s progress for much of this season.
Before the injury, the highly-rated defender had started every game for Leicester.
As a result, Doyle’s 14 starts in the Championship might make one assume that he has not been a class act for the Foxes when he has been impressive, whether it be as a centre-back or even at left-back.
So much so that in January, it was reported that Leicester were keen on signing the youngster in the summer.
However, Ben Foster hailed James McAtee and reacted to him being dubbed the “Salford Silva.”
“I think it’s his style of play, the way that he looks when he plays, his socks almost down by his ankles, almost Jack Grealish-like, what David Silva used to be a little bit like as well but he’s a fantastic player, obviously on loan from Man City himself”, he said [via the Premier League’s official YouTube channel].
“Sheffield United really lucky to have him on loan as well because he was fantastic last season for them.”
Ben Foster also claimed that Pep Guardiola must be impressed by how much responsibility James McAtee has taken this season for Sheffield United on loan.
“But what he has done is he’s been there, he’s stood up, he’s been counted and I think that’s the sort of thing Pep Guardiola will be watching from afar and thinking, ‘Can that sort of player fit into a Man City team in the future?’ But he’s been doing a fantastic job for Sheffield United as well.”
Foster added, “He looks like he’s got quite a grown head on them shoulders as well. He’s very young anyway but he’s seen taking penalties, there’s still responsibility on him so I’d like to say that behind the scenes, he’s probably quite grown up and a bit of a leader in that changing room for quite a young team that are going to be struggling, you need those characters around the place.”
Would James McAtee want to stay at Manchester City next season?
Even if Pep Guardiola is impressed by James McAtee taking responsibility at Sheffield United, as Ben Foster stated, whether he would wish to stay at City in the 2024/2025 season is doubtful, in our view.
It was reported over a week ago that Lucas Paqueta’s agents also expect him to sign for the Sky Blues in the summer.
With De Bruyne, Foden, Kovacic, Nunes, Bernardo Silva and potentially even Paqueta as his competition in midfield next season, would McAtee aspire to stay put or leave permanently.
The youngster turns 22 in October this year and the question is whether he wishes to continue going on loan season after season or become a starter at Premier League level.
James McAtee is unlikely to start at Manchester City anytime soon and with suitors likely to line up for his signature after witnessing his heroics at Bramall Lane, it would not be a surprise if he bid farewell to his boyhood club.