Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has identified Wolves full-back Rayan Ait-Nouri as his top target this summer.
City have been without a natural left-back since Benjamin Mendy’s last appearance in August 2021. Since then, Guardiola has rotated through various makeshift solutions, including Oleksandr Zinchenko, Joao Cancelo, Josko Gvardiol, and more recently, academy prospect Nico O’Reilly, who started in the FA Cup final loss to Crystal Palace.
Determined to fix the gap this summer, Guardiola has reportedly turned to Ait-Nouri.
The 23-year-old Algerian international is currently preparing for national team friendlies against Rwanda and Sweden. His performances this past season have attracted widespread attention - he led all Premier League defenders in goal involvements (11) and possession recoveries in the final third.
Ait-Nouri’s ability to drive forward with the ball, combined with his defensive intelligence and pressing ability, aligns perfectly with Guardiola’s expectations for a left-back.
His technical skill and attacking output make him a natural fit in a system that demands more than just defending from its full-backs.
While O’Reilly played at left-back in the FA Cup final, it was Gvardiol who spent most of the season filling that role - with a fair amount of success.
Ait-Nouri’s arrival would either mean that the Croatian could either be moved into the centre of defence alongside Ruben Dias, or find himself on the bench at the start of next season.
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