Find the whole McAtee thing very strange, looks decent, touring Germany but deciding to stay in the Prem but still not signed for anyone or a clear front runner for him, I imagine he must have concrete offers and a preferred destination to turn down Germany?
Are we actually in for him? Like I say strange! Thought he would have gone somewhere by now, is he turning down Germany for Forest for example?
It's purely about the asking price
City supposedly want about the same sort of money they sold Cole Palmer for (about £42m), nobody is willing to pay that (quite rightly).
McAtee has 12 months left on his deal and doesn't want to sign another one. City need to drop their asking price, or they risk losing him on a free.
The closer they get to the deadline, the more likely they are to drop the fee.
Just a bit of brinksmanship - they're hoping people will overpay because (like us) they're desperate. This one, unless City magically drop their price early, will go quite late into the window. Just a question of who's happy to wait until then.