Pep Guardiola pleads with Man City star not to repeat Cole Palmer transfer move

Manchester City are acceptable to splash the currency earlier the January transportation model closes but Pep Guardiola's precedence is the players already astatine his disposal, including young prima James McAtee

Manchester City brag Pep Guardiola admits that he's hopeless to debar rising prima James McAtee becoming their adjacent Cole Palmer.

The winter transportation window closes connected Monday, February 3 and highly-rated McAtee has been linked with assorted Premier League clubs, including Fulham and Newcastle. City privation to manus the Salford-born midfielder a caller semipermanent contract, having reportedly rejected bids worthy up to £30million past summer.

McAtee, 22, has entered the last 18 months of his existent woody and is facing a dilemma implicit his future. His deficiency of game-time nether Guardiola has fuelled suggestions that helium could travel successful Chelsea prima Palmer's footsteps and permission City for pastures new.

His banal was boosted further connected Sunday erstwhile helium scored his archetypal Premier League extremity for City successful their ruthless 6-0 thrashing against Ipswich. Just minutes aft the last whistle, Guardiola made it wide however hopeless helium is to support McAtee astatine the club.

"He is specified a bully footballer and a beauteous guy. Quite akin qualities arsenic Phil [Foden]," the City brag remarked. "It is not casual erstwhile you don't get galore minutes for your confidence. Hopefully we tin support James for galore years."

McAtee mightiness find minutes adjacent harder to travel by during the 2nd fractional of the season, with Guardiola's men winning 4 of their past 5 games and scoring a full of 22 goals. Etihad chiefs are besides expected to invited a big of caller signings implicit the adjacent fortnight, including Eintracht Frankfurt's Omar Marmousch.

City volition wage a fixed €75m (£63m) positive a further €5m (£4m) successful bonuses for the 25-year-old Egyptian forward. They're besides understood to beryllium closing successful connected Lens defender Abdukodir Khusanov, Palmeiras centre-back Vitor Reis and Juventus full-back Andrea Cambiaso, taking their imaginable wintertime outlay to a chill £190m.

What should James McAtee bash - a loan, imperishable determination oregon enactment astatine Man City? Give america your prime successful the comments section.

Kyle Walker is expected to the lone large departure earlier the model slams shut, with AC Milan keen connected the City right-back. Milan main Zlatan Ibrahimovic has confirmed that talks are ongoing, telling DAZN: "Everyone knows that Walker is simply a large player, helium did large things astatine City.

"When determination is idiosyncratic similar him connected the marketplace determination is simply a batch of interest. It doesn't spell against our imaginativeness due to the fact that helium is strong, helium is simply a leader, helium has dominance successful the dressing room. Now we are checking if it is possible."

Guardiola was tight-lipped erstwhile asked astir the England international's future, saying successful response: "If Ibrahimovic said that, Ibrahimovic said that."

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