Wanderers have made another significant move in the transfer market with the signing of John McAtee from Luton Town on a three-year deal.
Arriving at the club from the Hatters for an undisclosed fee, McAtee becomes the third signing in the space of 24 hours – and eighth of the summer – as Ian Evatt bolsters his attacking options with the highly-sought after forward.
McAtee is a player best known to Wanderers supporters from his successful loan spell at Barnsley last season, scoring 15 goals and impressing immensely with his all-action performances at the top end of the field.
A player who has fought his way up the pyramid and impressed at every level he has played at; Wanderers have worked hard to secure the signature of the 25-year old despite considerable interest from other EFL clubs.
Ian Evatt on securing the signing of John McAtee: “John is someone that I have a lot of respect for and we have tracked his career for a long time now.
“He’s had to do it the hard way and has been on a bit of a journey in his career, and I really like that. He’s had to work his way up before going on to have a great season at Barnsley last year.
“I really like the way he plays the game and the intensity of his work. He’s pacy, an excellent presser but also has excellent movement in-behind and can stretch oppositions.
“He’s a goalscorer too, and we needed to add more of that to our ranks. It’s a huge signing for us as we’ve had to fight off a lot of competition to get him.
“We want to highlight the passion he has and the excitement he’ll bring to our fans. The way he plays means he will no doubt get them off their seats and I am sure they will enjoy watching him play.”
John started out his footballing career at Shrewsbury Town ahead of a move to Scunthorpe United in 2019.
Spending two years at Glanford Park before joining Grimsby Town in the summer of 2021, the Salford-born forward instantly became a fan favourite with the Mariners, scooping multiple Player of the Year awards and scoring 16 goals – including one in a Play-Off Final – to help Grimsby to promotion back to the EFL.
His performances were attracting interest across England and it was Championship side Luton Town who secured a permanent transfer for his services in 2022.
As a way to continue his development with a promise of regular game time, McAtee returned to Blundell Park on loan for Grimsby’s first season back in League Two, making 31 appearances as Paul Hurst’s side finished 11th alongside an outstanding run to the Quarter Finals in the FA Cup.
Making the step up to the third tier with ease last season on loan at Oakwell, McAtee’s ability to bring both goals and assists, coupled with his intensity off-the-ball in the final third makes him an incredibly valuable addition to Wanderers’ first team squad.
John will wear shirt number 45 for Wanderers this season.