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James Maddison's injury could have a convenient solution which would suit Manchester City
Sean McCormick Football Content Editor 05:00, 08 Aug 2025
Sean McCormick is a content editor across our North East and Yorkshire football clubs. He was previously a Newcastle United reporter, a trends writer covering both the Magpies and Sunderland AFC, as well as a football content editor at the Manchester Evening News. He also writes about darts and boxing. He joined us in 2016.
It is no secret that Pep Guardiola wants to trim his bloated Manchester City squad this summer.
City have secured six new signings following the arrivals of goalkeepers James Trafford and Marcus Bettinelli, left-back Rayan Ait-Nouri and midfielders Tijjani Reijnders, Sverre Nypan and Rayan Cherki.
That followed on from a bumper January transfer window, and as a result, Guardiola wants to reduce his squad size in order to keep the harmony in the camp positive.
A number of City's youngsters are available for loan deals, while the likes of Jack Grealish and Kalvin Phillips are free to leave the club on a permanent basis and so, too, is academy graduate James McAtee.
The 22-year-old has impressed when given an opportunity but those opportunities have not been forthcoming as regularly as he would have liked.
With one year remaining on his current deal, McAtee took the decision to captain England Under-21s in the European Championship this summer rather than travel with City to the Club World Cup and that signified the direction of travel when it came to his future.
McAtee captained the Young Lions to the European title and his stock rose during the competition. Bundesliga clubs Eintracht Frankfurt and Borussia Dortmund have been heavily linked with a move. So, too, have Nottingham Forest.
But news of James Maddison being ruled out for the next six to seven months with a knee injury could well see Tottenham Hotspur enter the mix to sign the former Sheffield United loanee.
In a statement, Tottenham said: "We can confirm that James Maddison will undergo surgery for a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee.
"His surgery will take place in the coming days and, following that, James will then begin his rehabilitation with our medical team. Everyone at Tottenham Hotspur wishes James a full and speedy recovery. We will be supporting him every step of the way."
It means Tottenham have a void to fill as they prepare for returning to the Champions League and Thomas Frank is said to be a big fan of McAtee.
Given the circumstances all parties find themselves in, it could be a convenient transfer that benefits all involved.
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