It appears that Rayan Ait-Nouri’s time at Wolves is coming to an end as Manchester City eye the left-back.
The summer transfer window hasn’t started as desired for Wolves, however, the sales of key players won’t come as a shock to fans.
After Matheus Cunha sealed a transfer to Manchester United, it was reported that Manchester City are closing in on Ait-Nouri.
Fosun have no option but to sufficiently replace Ait-Nouri and Cunha, who contributed to over half of Wolves’ Premier League goals in 2024/25, but it won’t be easy, particularly on a budget.
Photo by Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images
Photo by Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images
Rayan Ait-Nouri was supposed to join Manchester City in January
There is a difference between Wolves and City’s valuation of Ait-Nouri, as the Old Gold aim to secure a price north of £40m for the left-back.
Discussion is thought to be ongoing between the two clubs however, there’s a third team that will be eyeing negotiations.
Angers hold 50% of Ait-Nouri’s financial rights, meaning that whatever fee Wolves get, the French side will receive half, unless the Old Gold pay the Algerian’s former club out of the clause.
Interestingly, Angers have been at the forefront of talk regarding Ait-Nouri’s future as sporting director Laurent Boissier dropped a staggering revelation about the 23-year-old.
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Speaking before the transfer window opened, Boissier revealed that the defender was close to joining Man City in January, but behind the scenes, the deal fell through.
“Personally, I’ll only absolutely believe in Rayan’s transfer when it actually happens,” Boissier said.
“You should know that in January, his transfer fell through at 11:30 at night in City’s offices.
“So as long as the deal hasn’t actually been officially signed, I simply don’t include it in any of my budget planning.”
The Angers sporting director informed that Ait-Nouri has been on Pep Guardiola’s radar for some time, with his exit almost sanctioned mid-season.
Wolves avoided a disaster with early Ait-Nouri sale
Ait-Nouri was coy about his future at Wolves when interviewed at an Algerian airport amid links to City.
After Boissier’s revelation, it’s difficult to imagine that a deal will not be confirmed this summer, as City look to sign the Wolves ace before the Club World Cup commences.
It’s a blow for Wolves, but it could’ve been even worse had the 23-year-old departed in January amid the Old Gold’s battle with relegation.
Ait-Nouri was irreplaceable at the time, not only due to his quality but positionally too, as Rodrigo Gomes struggled with injury and Hugo Bueno was out on loan.
Wolves managed to keep hold of their star defender six months ago, but all signs are now pointing to the end of his journey in the West Midlands.