Rayan Ait-Nouri’s move to Manchester City is now confirmed, and he’s a player who departs with good graces in my book.
Take all the uproar surrounding the fee away and this is a good move for Ait-Nouri – and a good move for us in terms of attracting good talent from across the globe going forward.
It’s a move to Manchester City – what professional footballer worth their salt wouldn’t want to play under Pep Guardiola? It’s the pinnacle, really.
Yet he bided his time, and he handled it well. He waited patiently without throwing his toys out despite obvious interest in January – and served us well for the remainder of last season when we were in the mire. He could well have downed tools, as others have done in the past, but he didn’t.
He’s given us five years of service and he’s just gotten better and better in that time.
We saw a definite improvement in discipline, work rate, and overall temperament and attitude under Pereira – which shows he’s a player who needs high standards to thrive.
He’ll continue to get that under Pep Guardiola and will flourish.
A Modest Punt That’s Paid Off
From a financial perspective, we brought him in from Angers for a reportedly modest fee of £9.5m.
Like many of our signings over the years (most of which haven’t ended with half a decade of good service and around £15m profit – when accounting for the additional £9.5m Angers are due), he was a bit of a punt really. And before berating the fee we received too much, it’s probably important to consider that the player was most likely very keen on this move. It’s a step into the elite-class for Ait-Nouri, and a deserved one.
Wolves want to be seen as a club that doesn’t stand in a player’s way -for better or worse- when the goliaths come knocking. This helps in acquiring new talent for years to come, and getting a term of service akin to Ait-Nouri’s out of any of these would-be players does us absolutely no harm at all in the long run. With all this in mind, the timing of his departure feels right.
Let’s not forget too that he arrived at Wolves as a teenager who looked like he had some definite flair and skill, but perhaps not the physicality or resilience to deal with the demands of the Premier League.
This proved to be true for his opening two seasons – in and out of the team, and favoured by some managers yet not others (Lopetegui being his staunchest denier). His future was on the fence.
Progress Over Time
He often struggled to see out ninety minutes in the cut-throat pace and intensity of the Premier League, and whether he would ever become truly acclimatised to English football looked unclear.
But in his last two seasons, he has stepped up. He’s looked fitter and stronger, which has improved his greatest strength – his ability on the ball.
The ability to consistently keep up with the pace for a full 90 minutes has enabled him to be a constant threat – so much so that he provided the highest goal contributions of any defender in the Premier League last term.
More Freedom at Manchester City
Now he’s proven himself. A move to Manchester City will likely mean that some of the defensive shackles are lifted.
While this has never been a weakness one-on-one – after all we’ve seen him mark the likes of Mo Salah out of games consistently – it’s more the space he vacates when wandering forward that was/is the issue.
But at City, he’ll be given much more license to maraud forward than he ever was at Wolves – to utilise his offensive talents, to join in as an additional attacker when teams inevitably deploy a low block.
Now, however, he’ll be safe in the knowledge that the likes of Josip Gvardiol and Ruben Dias have got his back.
There’s every chance the Premier League will see Ait-Nouri’s full potential unlocked next year. For my money, he’s world class – one of the best left-wing backs in the modern game. The way he jinks and glides past players is phenomenal.
Not Irreplaceable – But Definitely Unique
Despite my waxing lyrical, from a Wolves point of view I don’t think he’s quite as irreplaceable as he’s sometimes made out to be.
Yes, he’s unique as wingbacks go (insofar as his technical ability is off the scale), and yes, we played into that – as any team would to gain an advantage. He became our ‘not so secret’ weapon from an attacking point of view last season.
But I have faith that Pereira can, and will, bring in the profile of player to suit a system that will now need tweaking slightly – and that’s okay.
Outgoing business being done early means more time for Pereira to find a suitable replacement, and money in the bank to do so.
Besides, Hugo Bueno is a player who offers a pretty appealing skill set of his own – in his aggression defensively and ability to whip in a wicked cross time and time again – and is coming off the back of a very successful loan spell playing in the Champions League with Feyenoord.
He’s not one to be disregarded simply because we already own him.
I can see him playing a very big part next season regardless of who else we may or may not bring in, and despite it being a bitter pill to swallow in losing Ait-Nouri, I’ll be glad to see Bueno finally given a proper chance – he’s a player I’ve really, really liked for a some time.
Trust in Pereira and the Project
Now, with the restructure occurring at board level, it is time to trust Vitor Pereira – and all the footballing knowledge and contacts he brings to the table.
It looks as though he’s being empowered to build a new team in his image – so right now, I’m comfortable with high-profile departures, safely assured there’s a bigger picture at play.
After all, it’s part and parcel of a transition period for a club operating as we do in the Premier League.
Ultimately, we weren’t able to compete well enough in the previous model, so rightly so, that has been shelved. Perhaps not before time – but better late than never.
At this very moment in time, I’m willing to take the club at face value when they say lessons have been learnt – because what’s happened behind the scenes thus far this summer seems to reflect that.
What happens between now and the start of next season needs to continue to.
ARTICLE BY GEORGE LAKIN
George fell in love with Wolves the moment Colin Cameron fizzed one into the bottom corner against Plymouth Argyle on the 31st December 2005- during his first ever Wolves game as a child.
He loves digging a little deeper when it comes to Wolves, often conducting his own research to help him read between the lines and increase his knowledge and understanding of all aspects of our great club. He is keen to share his insight and findings with fans who share in his biggest love, -after his lovely wife, Amy and little boy, Tommy of course!- our mighty Wolverhampton Wanderers!
Rayan Ait-Nouri’s Departure Reveals the Scale of Wolves’ Reset Under Pereira