Last updated on June 8, 2025
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Manchester City is close to signing Rayan Ait-Nouri, one of the best young left-backs in the Premier League.
Image credit: City Chief
Manchester City is about to sign a new player—Rayan Ait-Nouri, a talented left-back who currently plays for Wolves.
The deal is expected to cost £31 million, with an extra £5 million possible depending on his performance.
He’s scheduled to have a medical check-up this weekend, which is one of the final steps before the deal is complete.
City hopes to finish the signing before June 10, so Ait-Nouri can play in the Club World Cup.
Who Is Rayan Ait-Nouri?
Ait-Nouri is a 24-year-old footballer from Algeria.
He has already played 41 matches for Wolves last season, scoring 5 goals and giving 7 assists.
That’s impressive for a defender!
He first joined Wolves from a French club called Angers in 2021. At first, he was on loan, but later Wolves bought him permanently.
Why Do Manchester City Want Him?
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola needs a strong left-back—someone who plays on the left side of defense.
Since their old left-back Benjamin Mendy left in 2021, City has tried different players in that spot, like Joao Cancelo, Oleksandr Zinchenko, and Josko Gvardiol.
Even a young player, Nico O’Reilly, played left-back in the FA Cup final, where City lost to Crystal Palace.
Now, Pep thinks Ait-Nouri is the perfect choice to fix the problem.
Ait-Nouri’s Super Stats
- He had more goal involvements (11) than any other Premier League defender last season.
- He created 46 chances for his teammates to score.
- He completed 63 dribbles—only one defender did more.
- He won the ball more times in the opponent’s half than any other Premier League defender.
These numbers show that he’s great at defending and helping with attacks!
What Coaches Say
Former Wolves coach Edu Rubio says:
“Ait-Nouri is amazing with the ball at his feet. He fits perfectly into Pep Guardiola’s style, which is all about keeping the ball and playing smart.”
He adds that Ait-Nouri:
- Is fast and can dribble past players
- Has good one-on-one defending
- Can play different roles along the side of the pitch
But he still needs to:
- Make quicker decisions when passing
- Get more assists in attacking plays
Still, his potential is huge.
Big Changes at Wolves and City
If Ait-Nouri leaves, he’ll be the second big player to go from Wolves this summer.
The first was Matheus Cunha, who is joining Manchester United.
Meanwhile, City has already agreed to buy Tijjani Reijnders, a midfielder from AC Milan, for £46.3 million.
And back in January, they spent £200 million on new players!
In Summary
Manchester City is close to signing Rayan Ait-Nouri, one of the best young left-backs in the Premier League.
