Leeds United have a Premier League rival in their pursuit of Manchester City starlet James McAtee, according to The Daily Mail (via MOT Leeds News). 

The lowdown

The youngster has emerged as a potential bargaining chip in negotiations between City and Leeds over the signing of Kalvin Phillips.

The 19-year-old predominantly played as an attacking midfielder last season but can also operate from a deeper role.

Last summer, Leeds signed another midfield starlet from an English club in the Champions League, snapping up Lewis Bate from Chelsea for £1.5m.

The latest

On Sunday, the print edition of The Daily Mail reported (via MOT Leeds News) that Leeds are 'keen' on McAtee, along with City's fellow 'rising star' Romeo Lavia.

However, the former is also 'wanted by Southampton', potentially throwing a spanner in the works for Victor Orta and the Whites if the Premier League champions agree to let him go.

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The verdict

McAtee's potential is abundantly clear. He has already made six appearances for City's first team, which is no mean feat considering that, according to Transfermarkt, their squad is the most valuable in the world.

He has also stood out at under-23 level, scoring 27 goals and providing 19 assists in 52 outings and winning the Premier League 2 Player of the Year award. That has unsurprisingly led to international recognition, with McAtee earning five caps so far for England's under-20s.

Goal.com's Manchester City correspondent Jonathan Smith has hailed the 19-year-old as a 'massive talent' with 'huge potential', and the good news for Leeds is that City's interest in Phillips could give them a crucial edge over Southampton in this particular transfer pursuit.

In other news, Leeds have learned how much they'll have to pay for this defensive target