Manchester City are kick-starting their summer transfer business with a swoop for Wolverhampton Wanderers star Rayan Ait-Nouri as they seek to address a lack of depth on the left side of defence.
The Cityzens rescued a disaster season with last-gasp Champions League qualification and are now eager to close the gap back up to champions Liverpool. Several positions will be addressed by Pep Guardiola in the coming months but left-back appears to be the priority as the Cityzens are already progressing with their attempt to lure Ait-Nouri to the Etihad Stadium.
Wolves, who recently sold Matheus Cunha to Manchester United in a club record £62.5 million deal, could be about to lose another star man in a matter of days as City want to sign Ait-Nouri before the FIFA Club World Cup begins on June 15. It’s a tricky time for Wanderers as a result, but what if they could end up benefiting from the situation?
Ait-Nouri’s departure would bring in a sizeable fee - perhaps as much as £45 million - but there could be a better way of going about things. What if Wolves were to get a player and cash in return for Ait-Nouri – perhaps attacking midfield target James McAtee?
Birmingham World understands Wolves have shortlisted McAtee as a potential replacement for Cunha and are weighing up making an approach to City. With that the case, it could make good sense to bring up McAtee during the Ait-Nouri negotiations in an effort to arrive at a logical compromise.
City are open to letting McAtee leave this summer and reports elsewhere suggest the playmaker could be available for around £25 million as his contract expires next summer. Fellow Premier League clubs Newcastle United, Nottingham Forest, West Ham United, Crystal Palace and Leeds United are all interested.
Wolves could get ahead of the competition by suggesting McAtee is included in the Ait-Nouri deal. It would require City to stump up some cash due to the difference in valuation between the two players - perhaps as much as £20 million - but that’s not beyond the realms of possibility.
The Old Gold would of course miss Ait-Nouri’s presence on the left but it appears he’ll be leaving regardless, so an effort should at least be made to secure McAtee in return. It could work brilliantly with respect to Wolves’ profit margin, too, as Ait-Nouri’s former club, Angers, are due 50 per cent of the profit from the next sale. Earning most of the profit in the form of a player exchange is a genius possible workaround.
How could James McAtee fit in at Wolves?
If Wanderers were to land McAtee, he could become a regular starter right away. Cunha’s sale and Pablo Sarabia’s expected exit open up an immediate spot on either side of centre-forward Jorgen Strand Larsen, as head coach Vitor Pereira likes to operate with one striker and two wide attacking midfielders.
It’s likelier that McAtee would play off the right as he’s left-footed and could cut in, much like Sarabia. His eye for a pass and proven clinical finishing in front of goal could work in Wolves’ favour as Pereira backs his wide forwards to get in on the scoring just as often as Strand Larsen. If Wanderers can pull it off, McAtee could be a shrewd addition.