Wolves face the consequences of their solid recruitment every summer, as several big clubs hunt down their best players.
In 2024, it was the big money sales of Max Kilman and Pedro Neto that stole the headlines, seeing two of their best players leave.
Wolves arguably didn’t sign a Kilman replacement until the January transfer window with the addition of Emmanuel Agbadou, while the wing wizardry of Neto was never truly replaced.
Now, a successful summer could hinge on how Vitor Pereira fills the void of Matheus Cunha, who is closing in on a move to Manchester United.
Cunha’s departure from Molineux has felt inevitable for a while after admitting he wanted to leave in March, and now, it’s become a real possibility that Rayan Ait-Nouri could follow.
Photo by Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images
Photo by Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images
When Manchester City want to sign Rayan Ait-Nouri by
It was reported recently that Manchester City joined the race to sign Ait-Nouri after watching the 23-year-old amass more goals and assists than any Premier League player last term.
Fabrizio Romano then revealed that Man City asked for the deal conditions of Ait-Nouri in an attempt to prise him away from Molineux.
Now, the transfer guru has stated that Pep Guardiola will look to get his business done early this summer to prepare for a new era at the Etihad Stadium, and the Algerian is firmly on his list.
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Speaking on his YouTube channel, Romano said: “Man City will try to get their business done early for Rayan Cherki, Tijjani Reijnders and all these other targets for several other positions.
“At left-back, they like Tino Livramento of Newcastle, but it is not an easy one. Ait-Nouri for the left-back position, so City like several players. They will try to get their business done early in the market.”
It means the Wanderers can perhaps expect City to make an early bid for the former Angers star. Wolves value Ait-Nouri at around £45 million, which seems cheap considering the quality of wing-back he already is, but with his contract expiring in 2026, that valuation makes sense.
How Fosun could convince Rayan Ait-Nouri to stay
In times when Fosun have been scrutinised by supporters, Wolves fans were pleased to see Joao Gomes sign a new deal alongside promising defender Yerson Mosquera.
Their ability to tie down key players to new contracts was great, and with Wolves already offering Ait-Nouri a new contract, there are only a few ways they could keep him.
Firstly, making him one of the club’s highest earners would surely appeal to the Algerian, and also showing ambition to climb up the table and challenge for European football.
They can do that by splashing the cash on quality in the window, with a clear emphasis on recruiting talent that can instantly make a difference.
Pereira is predicting ‘big things’ at Wolves, but it remains to be seen whether his ambitions are matched by the owners. History suggests they won’t be, though, to keep Ait-Nouri, they will have to be.