Tottenham want to sign £30m Man City star who hasn’t convinced Pep Guardiola after final

The shifting dynamics of English football’s hierarchy have rarely been more apparent than in the contrasting fortunes of Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur. Where once Spurs could pluck promising talents from the Etihad with relative ease – as they did with Vedran Corluka in 2008 – the tables have turned dramatically in the intervening years.

Yet as the summer transfer window approaches, Daniel Levy’s recruitment team appear to have identified an unexpected opportunity to raid the Premier League champions for one of their emerging stars.

James McAtee’s situation at Manchester City has captured Tottenham’s attention, with the North London club reportedly leading the chase for the 22-year-old midfielder.

The Sheffield-born playmaker, who has shown flashes of brilliance during his 23 appearances this season, finds himself at a career crossroads as he enters the final twelve months of his contract.

While Pep Guardiola has utilized McAtee sparingly – primarily in domestic cup competitions – the City hierarchy remain acutely aware of his potential value, having rebuffed £30 million bids from German clubs during the January window.

Sources close to the negotiations suggest Guardiola hasn’t been entirely convinced by McAtee’s development, creating an opening for Tottenham to pounce.

The parallels with Cole Palmer’s departure to Chelsea last summer won’t be lost on City’s decision-makers, but with Hugo Viana arriving as new sporting director and a squad refresh anticipated, the treble-winners may reluctantly sanction McAtee’s sale to avoid losing him for nothing in 2025.

For Tottenham, the potential acquisition represents precisely the type of calculated gamble that could pay dividends – a technically gifted English midfielder with point-to-prove motivation, available at a relatively modest fee by today’s inflated standards.

The transfer landscape becomes even more intriguing when considering Manchester City’s well-documented interest in Destiny Udogie. The Italian full-back has been identified as a potential solution to Guardiola’s search for defensive reinforcements, particularly with Kyle Walker entering the twilight of his career.

This mutual admiration could theoretically pave the way for an unconventional swap deal, though Tottenham would undoubtedly demand significant compensation given Udogie’s importance to their project.

Such negotiations would test Daniel Levy’s famed bargaining skills, with the Spurs chairman needing to balance immediate squad needs against long-term planning.

Much depends on the outcome of next week’s Europa League final and its ripple effects throughout the club. Victory over Manchester United would not only end Tottenham’s 17-year trophy drought but secure Champions League football – a crucial factor in attracting players of McAtee’s caliber.

Conversely, defeat could trigger a summer of upheaval, with Ange Postecoglou’s future becoming subject to intense scrutiny and key players potentially being sold to fund a broader rebuild.

The Australian manager’s attacking philosophy would certainly suit McAtee’s creative talents, but should Postecoglou depart, Tottenham’s entire transfer strategy may require reassessment.

McAtee’s potential arrival symbolizes the type of opportunistic signing that could define Tottenham’s summer. While not the marquee name some supporters crave, his blend of technical quality, Premier League experience and untapped potential makes him an intriguing prospect.

Having progressed through City’s esteemed academy alongside Phil Foden and Palmer, McAtee understands the demands of elite football, yet crucially possesses the hunger to establish himself as a regular starter – something increasingly unlikely at the Etihad given Guardiola’s exacting standards and the club’s relentless pursuit of world-class talent.

For Manchester City, the decision to sell would represent another calculated gamble in their player trading model. Having seen Palmer flourish at Chelsea, they’ll be wary of repeating past mistakes, yet Guardiola’s reluctance to fully integrate McAtee into his first-team plans suggests the midfielder may have reached his ceiling at the club.

The proposed £30 million fee would provide useful funds for their own recruitment drive while removing the risk of losing an asset for nothing in twelve months’ time.

As the transfer window approaches, this potential deal encapsulates the complex interdependencies of modern football business.

Tottenham’s ability to capitalize on transitional periods at rival clubs, Manchester City’s delicate balancing act between squad evolution and financial prudence, and the career decisions facing promising English talents all converge in McAtee’s situation.

For a player once dubbed “the Salford Silva” during his youth team days, the opportunity to become Tottenham’s creative fulcrum could prove irresistible – provided all the moving parts fall into place after the Europa League final’s dramatic conclusion.

The coming weeks will reveal whether this transfer saga develops into something concrete or becomes another speculative rumor in the endless summer chatter.

What remains certain is that Tottenham’s recruitment team have identified an opportunity to acquire a gifted homegrown player at a reasonable price – exactly the type of smart business required to bridge the gap to the Premier League’s established elite. In the high-stakes game of transfer poker, Daniel Levy may be preparing to play one of his most interesting hands in years.