Should Eintracht sign James McAtee?
Eintracht Frankfurt are exploring a deal for 22-year old James McAtee, who is looking to leave Manchester City this summer, with only one year left on his contract. According to Graeme Bailey, The Citizens will demand around €23m for the attacking midfielder. Here’s what he could offer to Dino Toppmöller’s team:
City Adacemy Graduate
James McAtee joined the Manchester City academy at 11-years-old, and has since been one of their most promising talents to break through into the first team. In 2021, he won their ‘Academy Player of the Year’ award, ahead of players such as Cole Palmer, Liam Delap and Felix Nmecha. McAtee‘s footballing education in the Manchester City academy is reflected in his style of play. The Englishman is a very intelligent and technically gifted player, who could bring a new element into this Eintracht squad.
Style of Play
In possession, McAtee is extremely press resistant. When receiving the ball under pressure, he remains calm and almost always finds a way to outmanoeuvre his opponent. His low center of gravity, high agility and superb control of the ball make him a great receiver of the ball in tight spaces, whether it’s in build-up or higher up the pitch. He’s always available to receive a pass into his feet and will always know what to do next after receiving it.
McAtee isn’t just outstanding at retaining the ball, he can also initiate attacks, either by carrying the ball forward or through his outstanding passing ability. When McAtee starts dribbling, he can be a nightmare to defend. His swift movements on the ball are a joy to watch. When McAtee enters the final third, he always keeps his head up to spot the right teammate – his vision and decision-making are elite, as is to be expected from a Pep Guardiola player. The 22-year-old can also finish off attacks himself, as he possesses a strong finishing ability.
All in all, James McAtee has everything you want from an attacking midfielder. He would be one of the best number 10s in the Bundesliga. Due to his understanding of the game, he could also be used in a deeper position. However, his lack of defensive awareness and physicality might be a concern, if used in the double pivot in our 3-4-3 system.
Can/Should we sign McAtee?
First of all, it’s important to note that the deal is still far from done. To realise this transfer, we would probably have to complete some sales first. Also, clubs like Dortmund or Bayer Leverkusen, who are also interested in McAtee, could probably hijack a transfer, just as they did with Jobe Bellingham.
Do we even need another attacking midfielder?
Even if we had the chance to sign him, a few question marks would still remain. Mario Götze played an excellent second half of last season, before getting injured. While McAtee, who is actually very similar to Götze in many regards, would be a superb long-term replacement for the World Cup winner, he could also hinder the development of players like Fares Chaibi, and Can Uzun.
Don’t we want to sign Doan?
The Frankfurter Rundschau recently reported that our current transfer budget is almost completely empty, following the transfer of Jonathan Burkardt. That’s why the transfer of McAtee is highly dependent on the sale of Hugo Ekitike, which now seems to be close to completion. Personally, I would prefer if Krösche focused on signing a new right winger – Doan would be great. If we were to sign McAtee, though, I would still be very excited to see him play in the Waldstadion. Fares Chaibi might have to leave us in that case.
