Chelsea are now in the running to sign Nottingham Forest midfielder James McAtee, which could be a repeat of their successful signing of Cole Palmer from Manchester City. The Blues are keeping an eye on the 23-year-old’s situation at the City Ground, as he has struggled to settle in after moving from the Etihad Stadium for £30 million last summer.
McAtee has only played 246 minutes this season, especially with Morgan Gibbs-White on the team and Forest regularly changing managers. Since McAtee joined Forest, the team has had three different managers: Nuno Espirito Santo, Ange Postecoglou, and Sean Dyche, who is now in charge.
All three have had trouble giving the England Under-21 international regular playing time. Now, several Premier League teams are interested in the midfielder, including Leeds United, Bournemouth, Fulham, and Sunderland.
Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has a big edge in the race to sign McAtee. While managing Manchester City’s Elite Development Squad from 2020 to 2021, the Italian worked with the midfielder. During that time, McAtee played with current Blues stars Palmer and Liam Delap, and that familiarity could be very important.
Chelsea’s Palmer Blueprint Sparks McAtee Interest
Cole Palmer’s move from Manchester City to Chelsea was one of the best in recent Premier League history. In September 2023, the sporting directors at Stamford Bridge made a deal that brought Palmer to west London for £40 million. The return on that investment has been amazing.
Palmer scored 27 goals and set up 15 more in all competitions during his first season. This amazing performance earned him the Premier League Young Player of the Year award. His play went beyond the numbers, as he became Chelsea’s main creative force and penalty taker.
Palmer was named man of the match in both the UEFA Conference League final and the FIFA Club World Cup final, which helped Chelsea win both trophies. His ability to play well on the biggest stages has proven that the club made the right choice when other teams were unsure about signing him.
This explains why Chelsea is once again interested in talented young players from City, like McAtee. The club’s recruitment model puts a high value on players under 25, and McAtee fits that bill perfectly at 23.
For McAtee, joining the Blues would be a new beginning and a chance to work with a manager who knows his game inside and out. This could help him unlock the talent that made him a star in City’s academy system.
