Manchester City reportedly face the prospect of receiving increased interest in James McAtee during 2025.
At the beginning of the season, Pep Guardiola made a point of stating that he wanted to keep the academy graduate in his first-team squad on the back of a loan spell with Sheffield United.
However, despite City enduring their worst run of form in recent memory and suffering a wide array of fitness issues, the 22-year-old has barely been used.
Although the playmaker played a key role off the substitutes' bench during Sunday's 2-0 victory at Leicester City, he has made just three starts and six outings as a replacement all season.
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Which Bundesliga giant is chasing McAtee?
With City in a position where multiple youngsters are appearing on the substitutes' bench, McAtee may not necessarily invite interest in the England Under-21 international.
Nevertheless, according to the Daily Mail, Bayer Leverkusen are monitoring the situation ahead of potentially making an approach.
The report suggests that the Bundesliga champions are contemplating whether to try to take advantage of just 18 months remaining on McAtee's contract.
Given his current predicament regarding game time, it appears highly unlikely that McAtee will be prepared to extend his current deal.
RB Leipzig, Borussia Dortmund, Fiorentina and Bologna are also said to be admirers of a player who is expected to prioritise regular football over committing his future to City.
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What will be Guardiola's stance?
Guardiola has rarely prevented players from leaving the Etihad Stadium providing that City receive their desired fee for their signature.
In the case of McAtee, it is difficult to determine what his asking price may be when featuring for just 359 minutes since the start of August.
That said, the report alleges that City may demand in the region of £25m if they are to give the green light to a sale, particularly in January.
The likes of Nottingham Forest, Brentford, West Ham United and Crystal Palace are Premier League teams who also hold an interest.
Darren Plant
