Manchester City academy graduate James Mcatee is a player that Everton have their eyes on, according to reports. The youngster made his senior debut for City via a four-minute cameo against Everton in November 2021.
Pep Guardiola has made it clear that he likes the player a great deal, noting that at Mcatee's age, he "would like him to stay," but that he realizes that "the players want more minutes," something that is difficult to come by at City these days.
But even at his young age (he won't be 23 until October), Mcatee has already seen a decent amount of first team football for the Cityzens, not to mention a successful loan spell in the Championship with Sheffield United, where he scored 9 goals in 37 appearances in 2022/23, and a solid season with the Blades when they returned to the Premier League the following year.
His first full year with Manchester City showed a great deal of promise, but even with their extended fixture list, it was difficult for the young Englishman to see much of the pitch.
But for a season that saw him make just 27 appearances (9 starts) and a mere 945 minutes on the pitch, Mcatee scored seven times, including once in a Champions League cameo against Slovan Bratislava in October, and an impressive hat-trick in an 8-0 thumping of Salford City in the FA Cup in January.
The question is whether Pep wants to keep Mcatee around and work him into the squad more frequently, or if the City manager will take advantage of the attention around the player and try to move him this summer.
If City do opt to move him on, Everton should be interested in adding the player, as he presents an opportunity to fill a massive hole in the squad on the right wing.
A big curiosity, of course, would be cost. If City are keen to move him for a massive fee, then Everton might be better to spend that money on a more proven commodity. But if the fee is reasonable and would allow Mcatee to be part of a rotation as the Toffees continue to bolster the squad, then that might be more to the liking of the club and its supporters.
The good news in all of this, and something that Everton supporters should be thrilled about, is that the Mcatee interest suggests that the club is sniffing in the right direction in terms of new additions. While they cannot depend solely on young, promising players for next season, that is the type of profile that should dominate their transfer movement, at least if big money is involved, and it is refreshing to see that approach from Everton.
There's also the small note of Mcatee's heritage, which links him to Everton's history. He is the great-nephew of club great Alan Ball. And while this is technically neither here nor there, it is a great note that Toffee supporters could latch on to.
Whether it amounts to anything this summer will remain to be seen and something to keep a close eye on as the summer continues.