Manchester City have reportedly turned down a loan offer from Bayer Leverkusen for young attacker James McAtee.
The 22-year-old England Under-21 international has been struggling to break into Pep Guardiola’s starting lineup.
McAtee’s Limited Game Time
McAtee has made just six Premier League appearances this season, failing to start any of them.
Despite scoring five goals in 14 competitive matches, including a hat-trick in the FA Cup, McAtee has seemingly failed to convince Guardiola of his worth.
Leverkusen’s Loan Offer Rejected
Leverkusen had hoped to offer McAtee a chance to gain regular game time in the Bundesliga, but City have rejected their formal proposal.
The German club had offered a loan deal with an option to make the move permanent for £5m in the summer.
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Leverkusen Turn Attention to Emiliano Buendia
Following the rejection, Leverkusen have quickly turned their focus to pursuing a deal for Aston Villa’s Emiliano Buendia.
The German club have already reached an agreement with Villa to sign the Argentine attacker on an initial loan deal with an option to make the switch permanent at the end of the season.
Buendia’s Impending Move to Leverkusen
Buendia is now set to undergo a medical before completing his move to Leverkusen.
The 27-year-old will join a side sitting in second place in the Bundesliga and competing in the Champions League and DFB-Pokal.
