Hypothetically, what would we value more in terms of his development, 2,209 minutes of playing at a team in the bottom half of the Premier League and only in domestic competitions (let’s say on loan to Bournemouth) or 1,515 minutes of playing with us across all competitions, both domestic and European.
The 2,209 minutes is the figure Lavia has accumulated with Southampton - and yes I know he missed out through injury, though he is also predominantly a defensive player so would be more likely to feature than an attacking player - while the 1,515 minutes is the figure Lewis has accumulated with us this season.
As I say, all hypothetical, but in McAtee’s case I think I’d be valuing quality over quantity.