Rayan Ait-Nouri is one of the Premier League’s most exciting defenders, and Wolves fans will be wondering how long he has left at Molineux.
While Wolves finished 16th in the table after their draw against Brentford, it’s been a tremendous campaign for Ait-Nouri.
The 23-year-old produced more goal involvements (11) than any other defender in the division, with Micah Richards lauding Ait-Nouri as one of the Premier League’s best.
When on top of his game, the Algerian is breathtaking to watch fly down the flank, combining his unerring ball control with searing pace.
The Wolves wing-back is known for his incredible attacking attributes, but one stand-out statistic suggests he’s equally proficient going the other way.
Photo by Stuart Leggett | MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Photo by Stuart Leggett | MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Rayan Ait-Nouri ranked third in the Premier League for incredible defensive stat
Throughout his time at Wolves, the Algerian international has been criticised for his lack of defensive awareness and capacity to win possession back.
Vitor Pereira urged Ait-Nouri to ‘improve’ defensively in February, and now, one metric demonstrates how well he’s performed when his side have required him to snuff out danger.
Bruno Guimarães and Moisés Caicedo were the only players to win 200+ ground duels in the Premier League in 2024/25. 💪 pic.twitter.com/MLVcLAeCia
— Squawka (@Squawka) May 26, 2025
As highlighted by Squawka, only Newcastle United’s Bruno Guimaraes and Chelsea’s Moises Caicedo won more ground duels in the Premier League than Ait-Nouri in 2024/25.
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The former Angers star won a whopping 198 ground duels, which placed him above serial ball-winner Idrissa Gana Gueye, Elliot Anderson and even Wolves midfield destroyer Joao Gomes.
It shows that Ait-Nouri’s fitness has increased, as when he loses possession, he’s able to win it back instantly.
Ait-Nouri is wanted by Manchester City
Wolves are always a stepping stone club to bigger and better things. That should have been the case with Matheus Cunha, who deserves to play Champions League football, but instead, he’s joining Manchester United.
They aren’t much of an upgrade on Wolves in their current state, though the same can’t be said for Manchester City, who have joined the race to sign Ait-Nouri.
As revealed on Monday by Fabrizio Romano, Ait-Nouri is high on Man City’s shortlist as they look to sign a new left wing-back.
Realistically, if City came in with a bid for Ait-Nouri – who is valued at around £45 million – the Wanderers wouldn’t be able to stand in his way.
It promises to be yet another summer when Wolves lose their star players as the Algerian is poised to follow Cunha out of the exit door.