•  Southampton is interested in signing Manchester City midfielder James McAtee along with several other clubs.
•  McAtee excelled in the Championship last season and has the potential to be a valuable addition to Southampton’s squad.
•  The club may need to bring in an experienced player, but signing McAtee, even on loan, would be a smart move for the Saints.

Championship side Southampton are one of many teams interested in signing Manchester City midfielder James McAtee.

That is according to Simon Jones of the Daily Mail, who states as well as Saints, Wolves, Brighton & Hove Albion, Celtic, Real Sociedad, Sheffield United and AZ Alkmaar are also all keen on the young midfielder.

The 20-year-old spent last season on loan in the Championship at promotion-winning Sheffield United, and he is said to be keen on building on that season by continuing to play regular football.

Man City are said to be reluctant to let McAtee leave, but clubs like Southampton are interested in signing him.

The report adds that some clubs are willing to sign the midfielder on a permanent basis, while others are just willing to take him on loan. At this stage, it is unclear what Southampton are willing to offer the Premier League side.

Would James McAtee be a good signing for Southampton?

As we wait to see how this story develops, some of the writers at Football League World have shared their thoughts on Southampton’s interest in McAtee and also stated whether they think he would be a good replacement for James Ward-Prowse.

Here is what they said…

Brett Worthington

Considering the teams that are mentioned as having an interest in McAtee, it seems unlikely that he will move to Southampton.

But if the club is willing to take him on loan for another season, which is what Man City are looking for, then they have every chance.

The 20-year-old excelled in the Championship last season, contributing a lot to Sheffield United’s success. So, there is no reason why he can’t do the same at St. Mary’s, should he join this summer.

McAtee has shown at Sheffield United and at Man City that he can operate in various positions, a skill that makes him very useful in a Championship team. He has an eye for goal and can create chances, which makes him an all-round package and one that Southampton should do all they can to try and sign.

He would likely be brought in to replace James Ward-Prowse, and while those are big shoes to fill, he has all the potential to do so under a manager like Russell Martin.

The club may need to bring in a more experienced player, especially if Romeo Lavia leaves too, but adding a player like McAtee, even for a season, would be a great bit of business for the Saints.

Ned Holmes

James McAtee impressed in a promotion-winning side last season, helping Sheffield United get out of the Championship, and could prove just as effective were he to join Southampton.

He’s clearly got the technical ability to thrive in Russell Martin’s system but importantly, we’ve seen that he has end product as well, which is something the Saints should be looking to add given their new manager’s sides have been a little toothless at times in the past.

A Premier League loan may be preferable from Man City’s perspective but the Saints would make sense as well as he’d be joining a possession-focussed team and would surely get more game time than if he signed for a top flight club.

Equally, signing him permanently could prove to be a fantastic bit of business because the 20-year-old looks like a player with a huge future and though he may not come too cheap, the South Coast club will have money to spend if James Ward-Prowse and Romeo Lavia depart.