West Ham and Nottingham Forest are reportedly vying to sign Manchester City midfielder James McAtee this month.
If one club from West Ham and Nottingham Forest looked like potential dark horses to challenge the likes of Man City for a European spot, few would have picked out the Tricky Trees.
Many had Nottingham Forest down as potential relegation candidates and West Ham as top six contenders.
Most also had Manchester City down as champions yet again.
How wrong those predictions have been.
West Ham are the ones struggling despite spending £155m on nine new players in the summer.
Julen Lopetegui has completely failed to inspire on or off the pitch as the Hammers languish down in 13th place.
Nottingham Forest have taken the league by storm, sitting third in the Premier League table at the halfway stage.
Ahead – rather unbelievably – of champions Man City, who are sixth.
All three clubs are said to be keen to strengthen in the January transfer window for different reasons.
West Ham to try and salvage something from their woeful campaign.
Nottingham Forest to try take full advantage of their incredible campaign.
Man City to make sure they at least secure Champions League football.
And it seems that could mean the business of the trio is intrinsically linked.
Guardiola adds twist to West Ham and Forest battle for McAtee
Midfield is a huge issue for West Ham.
West Ham are sorely lacking in the middle of the park both in terms of power and athleticism as well as guile.
Nottingham Forest are said to want an alternative option should something happen to key star Morgan Gibbs-White.
That has put the Hammers and Forest on a collision course over Manchester City star James McAtee.
Now Pep Guardiola has added a big twist to the West Ham and Nottingham Forest battle for McAtee.
Journalist Alan Nixon revealed last month that West Ham want McAtee from Man City in January.
The Guardian’s Jacob Steinberg – who is well connected at the London Stadium – then added further credibility to the claim by doubling down on that news.
McAtee is an exciting midfielder and – at 22 – is a great age too.
He enjoyed an impressive loan spell at Sheffield United over the last two years, scoring 14 goals and laying on eight assists in 75 appearances.
McAtee has barely featured for Man City this season, despite their catalogue of injuries and issues.
It was reported that West Ham opened talks with their Etihad counterparts over McAtee just before Christmas.
According to The Telegraph, it’s claimed that McAtee is now unhappy at the Etihad Stadium and is seeking to leave the club this month.
Nottingham Forest and West Ham are two of the clubs most keen on testing out how keen he is to do that.
Now there has been a big development in the McAtee situation for the Irons and Forest.
Guardiola spanner in works but McAtee ‘wants to leave’
Man City boss Guardiola has asked about McAtee in his press conference ahead of the clash with West Ham.
His answer throws a major spanner in the works for the Hammers and Forest.
Because the Spanish manager has suggested he now wants to keep McAtee, who impressed in Man City’s win over Leicester last time out – only their second victory in 13 matches.
“He made us believe that maybe he should’ve had more minutes,” Guardiola said.
“But he’s young, and a lot of games still to play, but of course he played really good.
“And the most important is all of his (Manchester City) teammates were so happy, because he has big respect for how he behaves in the locker room.”
The comments come after Guardiola said he does not want McAtee to follow in the footsteps of other Man City starlets like Cole Palmer, Romeo Lavia, Liam Delap and several others in leaving the club.
“(McAtee) Leave? No, I don’t think so,” Guardiola told Man City’s official website after McAtee’s performance against Leicester.
“I had the feeling before the game that if I had to make a substitution the first one would be James. I felt it.
“He can play in the wing, pockets, striker, three positions up top and what I was pleased with was every action he did was good.
“He didn’t make one wrong action, in the position we were defensively he grew up a lot in Sheffield, that period made him so, so mature.
“But he’s a player, in a generation we have at City that have been unbelievable, when you see Romeo Lavia, Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers, Macca, Liam Delap, Taylor Harwood-Bellis, they’re incredible players come from there and he was part of that generation, he captained them.
‘I always felt this guy could play with us’
“That’s why when I said to Txiki, I know it’s unfair to say because you asked to stay and after we didn’t give the minutes that’s fair, that’s right.
“But I always felt this guy could play with us, and I’m very pleased for him because he’s an incredibly lovely guy, trains really good and he wants these minutes.
“It’s simple. All the players, I said many times, you want to add something, on the grid and on the grid Macca today proved it.”
This does not look good for West Ham or Nottingham Forest.
Although if the player wants to go and be the main man elsewhere then leaving for West Ham or Forest could still be on the cards.
Man City may be reluctant, though, having been criticised following the success of others such as Palmer against the backdrop of their own struggles with an ageing team.
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