(Credit: Imago)

Evan Shaw

Fri 1 May 2026 13:30, UK

Follow us on Google Discover

Leeds United appear to be about to see the stars align for them to sign Nottingham Forest midfielder John McAtee this summer.

The Whites have identified the former Manchester City starlet as a clear target for the upcoming transfer window, as Daniel Farke aims to try and strengthen his squad across the board.

McAtee departed the Etihad Stadium to join Forest in a deal worth £30million last summer, but he has found opportunities to impress few and far between since making the move to the City Ground.

The 23-year-old has started just one Premier League game all season for Vitor Pereira’s side, and hasn’t played any minutes at all since the Europa League win over Porto on 9 April.

McAtee is part of Leeds’ transfer plans for the summer, and with Forest now closing in on Marshall Munetsi, the door looks set to open for them to swoop in with an offer.

Leeds must be ready to pounce on Nottingham Forest agreement

McAtee’s lack of football has been a major talking point at the City Ground this summer, with many supporters also feeling that the youngster hasn’t impressed when he has been given the chance.

With that in mind, a move away could be beneficial for both parties ahead of next season, and Leeds are keen to try and make that a reality.

Former Manchester United chief scout Mick Brown told Football Insider at the end of March that Leeds have been long-term admirers of McAtee, and have him among their list of targets for the summer.

Their hopes of striking a deal for the former England U21 international have surely been boosted in recent days by the news that Forest are closing in on the signing of Munetsi.

The East Midlands outfit are understood to be “close” to an agreement in principle to sign the Wolves midfielder this summer, according to journalist Santi Aouna via his X account.

Munetsi previously worked under Pereira during their time together at Molineux, and the likely arrival of another central midfield option will surely push McAtee even further down the pecking order.

That should be enough to have Farke and Leeds ready to pounce on their long-term interest, with Forest potentially sniffing out the chance to move McAtee on.

Forest ready to sell James McAtee on the cheap

Brown previously told Football Insider that Forest will allow McAtee to find a new club this summer, and they are also prepared to accept an offer that would see them cut their losses on him.

The Reds will gladly take a chance to recoup their £30m outlay for the struggling star, but are also prepared to sanction a cut-price deal in order to get him off their books.

Brown’s insistence that a cheap deal could be on the cards is another aspect that plays perfectly into Leeds’ hands, given that it is expected that there won’t be an abundance of cash floating around at Elland Road this summer.

Forest already have some strong midfield options at their disposal, and their interest in Munetsi has surely just pushed McAtee one step closer to the exit.