'Offer submitted' - Man City in talks as ex-Liverpool star 'huge fan' of £30m man following £63m deal

It has been a busy month for Manchester City on the transfer front with Juma Bah the latest arrival at the club. The 18-year-old defender joined City from Real Vallodolid and has immediately headed to Ligue 1 side RC Lens on loan.

It follows the arrivals of Omar Marmoush, Abdukodir Khusanov and Vitor Reis this month. The former two both started as City beat Chelsea 3-1 in the Premier League on Saturday night, although Khusanov struggled on his debut while Marmoush showed glimpses of why Pep Guardiola was keen for the club to fork out a hefty fee for the forward. The Egyptian’s move cost an initial £59m with an additional £4.2m in add-ons, making the deal worth up to £63.2m.

“Yeah, it was an amazing debut,” said Marmoush after the win over Chelsea. “I’m really happy to be here. The debut was really, really nice. We won the game and it was a crazy atmosphere out there. I’m so happy to be here. Hopefully I will keep going that way. It is just the beginning and here’s to many more wins.”

Marmoush move could lead to McAtee departure

Marmoush’s move to City has perked the interest of German champions Bayer Leverkusen, who now feel they can pursue a deal for James McAtee. According to Florian Plettenberg of Sky Sports Germany, Leverkusen and City are in talks over a move with the Bundesliga champions submitting an offer for a six-month loan with an option to buy come the end of the season. Marmoush’s arrival is said to have re-opened the door to McAtee leaving.

Fabrizio Romano has also reported on Leverkusen’s interest, and claimed that Leverkusen manager and ex-Liverpool and Real Madrid midfielder Xabi Alonso is a “huge fan” of the midfielder. However, Guardiola is said to be reluctant to part ways with the player. The 22-year-old from Salford joined City’s academy in 2013 and has enjoyed two successful loan spells with Sheffield United. He helped the Bramall Lane club earn promotion from the Championship before returning to the Blades for their first season back in the Premier League.

This season he has made 14 appearances in all competitions for City, scoring five goals. He has yet to start in the Premier League or Champions League but scored a hat-trick in the 8-0 hammering of Salford City in the FA Cup. McAtee was eyed by Leeds United, Leicester City, Nottingham Forest and Southampton in the summer, alongside the likes of Celtic and European sides including Stuttgart and Feyenoord but offers of up to £30m were knocked back.

Guardiola on McAtee

Speaking as recently as the 6-0 win over Ipswich Town, Guardiola expressed a desire to keep McAtee at the Etihad Stadium for years to come. He said: "He is such a good footballer and a lovely guy. Quite similar qualities as Phil [Foden]. It is not easy when you don’t get many minutes for your confidence. Hopefully we can keep James for many years."

It echoes what the City boss had said in the summer, as he was quoted in July stating: “I would love to have, to keep him next season with us, because he’s a special guy to play in small spaces, in the pockets, and we don’t have many. When you play in the Premier League in a team fighting to not be relegated, you get something special… I am curious to see Macca especially. He’s a player I have a high, high opinion of, and I would like if he can insert properly with the team.”

After his hat-trick against Salford, Guardiola said: “I’m so happy for him, he’s a special player. Making a hat-trick is not easy. He started a bit flat I would say, but after he has an incredible sense in front of the goal. He has the right tempo, changed the rhythm to score and really happy for him.”