Forest Plot £25m Swoop for City’s James McAtee

Nottingham Forest transfer speculation has erupted again as the East Midlands club prepare a £25 million offer for Manchester City midfielder James McAtee. Fresh off agreeing a £60 million deal that will send playmaker Morgan Gibbs-White to Tottenham Hotspur, Evangelos Marinakis and his recruitment team are wasting no time identifying a successor capable of filling the creative void at the City Ground.

Nottingham Forest transfer focus shifts to McAtee

Forest’s hierarchy believe the 21-year-old England Under-21 international possesses the flair, ball-carrying skill and pressing intensity Steve Cooper demands from his advanced midfielders. Scouts have tracked McAtee throughout two impressive loan spells at Sheffield United, where he tallied nine goals and three assists in the Championship before tasting Premier League football last term. With Manchester City rumoured to be open to a permanent sale—providing a buy-back clause is inserted—the Forest board feel a decisive bid now could fend off rival interest from Brighton and Leicester.

The financial dominoes behind the deal

Selling Gibbs-White to Spurs unlocks substantial funds. Forest are set to receive an initial £50 million plus £10 million in reachable add-ons, instantly improving the club’s Profit & Sustainability Position. The plan is to reinvest roughly half of that windfall in McAtee, while allocating the remainder toward wage restructuring and a new left-back. Sources close to the negotiations confirm personal terms with McAtee would be in the region of £60,000 per week—well within Forest’s refreshed salary architecture after high-earning departures such as Jesse Lingard and Keylor Navas.

How McAtee fits Forest’s system

Under Cooper, Forest alternated between a 3-4-2-1 and a 4-3-3, relying on Gibbs-White to operate between the lines. Analysts inside the club believe McAtee mirrors many of those traits: he breaks defensive blocks with clever one-twos, carries the ball fearlessly toward the penalty area and presses aggressively from the front. His Premier League experience, although limited, showcased an ability to retain possession under pressure—something Forest were missing whenever Gibbs-White was absent through injury or suspension.

Manchester City’s stance

Pep Guardiola rates McAtee highly but acknowledges that pathway minutes will be scarce behind established stars like Kevin De Bruyne and Phil Foden. City have become comfortable selling academy talents with buy-back clauses—see Romeo Lavia and Gavin Bazanù at Southampton—allowing players to develop while retaining future control. Forest’s proposed structure reportedly includes a £45 million buy-back trigger valid for three seasons, plus a 20 percent sell-on clause—standard practice for City’s outbound youngsters.

Other names on Forest’s radar

Should the Nottingham Forest transfer pursuit of McAtee stall, alternatives include Chelsea’s Carney Chukwuemeka, Ajax’s Kenneth Taylor and Sporting CP’s Marcus Edwards, though each would require different fee structures. Forest’s analytics department values McAtee’s Premier League acclimatisation and English-trained status, both crucial under home-grown squad quotas.

The Gibbs-White legacy and squad evolution

Gibbs-White arrived from Wolves for a club-record £42.5 million in 2022 and quickly became Forest’s talisman, contributing five goals and nine assists in his maiden top-flight campaign. His impending switch to Tottenham—where Ange Postecoglou sees him as the ideal eight-and-a-half—represents Forest’s first major player-trading profit since their return to the Premier League. Cooper accepted the sale on the proviso that reinvestment would strengthen two or three positions, not only the creative midfield berth. Consequently, Forest have already opened talks with Benfica over right-back Alexander Bah and are monitoring free-agent goalkeeper David De Gea as a high-profile, incentive-laden signing.

Tactical implications for Steve Cooper

A successful Nottingham Forest transfer for McAtee would give Cooper licence to rotate between two 10s—McAtee and Danilo—behind Taiwo Awoniyi. Alternatively, the Welsh coach could trial a 4-2-3-1 with McAtee central, flanked by Anthony Elanga and Callum Hudson-Odoi. The manager’s priority this summer is adding ball progression and set-piece quality; McAtee’s wicked left foot ticks both boxes.

Timeline and potential obstacles

Forest hope to finalise a fee before their pre-season tour of the United States kicks off in mid-July. The main hurdle remains City’s insistence on favourable buy-back conditions as well as McAtee’s desire for guaranteed minutes. Cooper’s track record of nurturing young English talent—witness the rapid development of Neco Williams and Ryan Yates—has been highlighted to the player’s camp as a persuasive factor.

Transfer market context and fan reaction

Premier League spending continues to spiral, yet Forest’s strategy appears measured: sell one marquee star at peak value, recycle funds into several high-ceiling assets. Supporters, still buzzing from last season’s dramatic survival, largely back the approach. On social media, many describe McAtee as “Gibbs-White 2.0” and believe his arrival would maintain the team’s attacking spark while lowering the average age of the squad.

Possible ripple effects for Tottenham and City

Spurs capturing Gibbs-White ends their prolonged search for a creative midfielder to compete with James Maddison, freeing Postecoglou to offload Giovani Lo Celso. For City, sanctioning McAtee’s exit could fund a late-window centre-back purchase, with Ousmane Diomande and Levi Colwill both admired at the Etihad.

Final thoughts on the Nottingham Forest transfer strategy

The proposed swoop for McAtee epitomises Forest’s evolving model: bold, data-driven and sustainable. If completed, the deal would demonstrate that the City Ground is now both a destination for emerging talents and a stepping stone toward Europe’s elite.

Opinion: Trading Gibbs-White at the peak of his value is shrewd, but Forest must ensure the creative burden does not overwhelm McAtee. At 21, he will need time to adapt, and fans should temper expectations. Still, securing an England-rated prospect with resale provisions intact is precisely the kind of calculated risk that can elevate Forest from relegation battlers to stable mid-table contenders.