Manchester City entered the summer transfer window with a plan to add a left-back to their squad.
The role in the Premier League giants’ squad has been a problem for some time, with Nico O’Reilly occupying it throughout the second half of the 2024/25 campaign, however, Pep Guardiola doesn’t plan to use the Man City youngster in his backline next season.
Josko Gvardiol is the other star who has been deployed at left-back in recent times, and the Croatia international will be delighted when a proper left-sided full-back arrives, as it means he can play in his preferred centre-back role.
Man City have now taken a huge step towards acquiring a new left-back as an agreement has been reached between the Manchester club and Wolves for Rayan Ait-Nouri.
Photo by Malcolm Couzens/Getty Images
Photo by Malcolm Couzens/Getty Images
Rayan Ait-Nouri to undergo Man City medical on Saturday
Ait-Nouri was expected to cost around £50m this summer; however, Liverpool may have unintentionally helped Man City sign the Algerian star for less, as the Reds are set to acquire Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez for around £40m, which is what Wolves were using as precedent.
City have now agreed a transfer fee with the Midlands club for Ait-Nouri worth a total of £34m (€40m), with Fabrizio Romano reporting that everything is now in place to get the transfer over the line, with just the 23-year-old’s medical left to take place on Saturday.
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🚨🔵 Rayan Aït-Nouri to Manchester City, here we go! Agreement club to club done today for total fee close to €40m.
Understand medical tests will take place on Saturday.
The left back accepted City project earlier this week as revealed and medical will take place this weekend. pic.twitter.com/0iirloVTXg
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 5, 2025
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Should everything go well, Man City will likely announce the signing of Ait-Nouri next week, which is what the Manchester club hoped for as they wanted the full-back available for the FIFA Club World Cup.
City get their campaign underway on June 18, and once the tournament in America is done, the Premier League giants will then focus on adding a right-back to Guardiola’s squad, as that is also a priority for the legendary coach.
The latest on Man City’s search for a right-back
With midfielders and a left-back a priority for Guardiola ahead of the Club World Cup, it was reported on Wednesday that Man City have hit a wall in their search for a right-back.
Man City’s top target is Newcastle’s Tino Livramento, but the Magpies do not want to part ways with the defender this summer, having secured Champions League football for next season.
City will not give up on the Englishman, while it was also reported that nothing has materialised yet out of Guardiola’s interest in Juventus’ Andrea Cambiaso.
Player Games Goals Assists Minutes
Wesley Franca 23 1 2 1915
Tino Livramento 45 0 1 3459
Andrea Cambiaso 42 2 5 2895
Flamengo’s Wesley remains an option for Man City, but just like Cambiaso, it remains to be seen if the Premier League giants act on their interest in the Brazilian full-back.
It seems that the Manchester club have got all the players they wanted before the Club World Cup gets underway, but once that tournament is over, Hugo Viana needs to make sure other key areas in Guardiola’s team are addressed before the Premier League kicks off in August.