Manchester City have reportedly rejected a £25m offer from Nottingham Forest for James McAtee.
As well as the Tricky Trees, Bundesliga outfits Borussia Dortmund and Eintracht Frankfurt have been credited with an interest in the 22-year-old this summer.
McAtee spent the majority of his early summer in Slovakia, helping England Under-21s to European Championship glory under the tutelage of Lee Carsley.
The Young Lions evaded the attentions of Spain and the Netherlands in the knockout stages before beating Germany in the final.
McAtee was a key player for England across the tournament, finding the net against La Roja and providing an assist versus the Germans.
According to journalist Pete Graves, Manchester City are holding firm as potential suitors circle around highly-rated McAtee.
The report claims that Nottingham Forest are one of the sides keen on the youngster, submitting an initial bid for the player.
However, it is understood that Man City have rejected the offer from the Tricky Trees, holding out for a bigger fee in the deal.
It is believed that the Citizens could be open to the sale of McAtee, who featured 15 times in the Premier League last season.
Forest are supposedly readty to push hard for the signature of the 22-year-old, with the East Midlands outfit preparing for a campaign in the Europa League.
With less than 12 months until the World Cup, McAtee will be plotting this way into the senior plans of England head coach Thomas Tuchel.
A campaign of fleeting appearances in the Premier League at Man City is unlikely to secure the midfielder’s spot on the plane to North America.
As a result, McAtee could benefit massively from a switch to the City Ground, where European football returns in 2025-26 after a long hiatus.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk