Rayan Ait-Nouri has said his goodbyes to Wolves as the defender ended his five-year association with the club.
Ait-Nouri signed for Manchester City in a deal worth £31m, bringing his Wolves chapter to a close.
Some Wolves fans were frustrated about Ait-Nouri’s sale price, however, his valuation was heavily swayed by the fact that he was heading towards the final year of his contract at Molineux.
The Algerian follows Matheus Cunha out of the door in what is hoped to be the end of the big sales at Wolves this summer.
Photo by Jack Thomas - WWFC/Wolves via Getty Images
Photo by Jack Thomas – WWFC/Wolves via Getty Images
Joao Gomes sends parting message to Rayan Ait-Nouri
It wasn’t only Wolves fans who loved the dynamic left-back, as was revealed when the defender departed.
Ait-Nouri received many warm wishes from his teammates at Molineux, who made it clear that they will miss having the 24-year-old around.
One player to send a special message to the Algeria international was Joao Gomes, who penned a 17-word parting note on his Instagram story.
In the post, Gomes revealed something that he ‘always told’ Ait-Nouri, calling his former teammate ‘the best in the world’.
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“I always told you that you are the best in the world!! Now the world will see,” Gomes said.
A move to a top-six club was almost inevitable given the level that the wing-back performed at over the 2024/25 campaign, reinforcing the task Wolves have on their hands to replace him.
Ait-Nouri’s goodbye message to Wolves was emotional as he laid his feelings for the club bare, in what is a sore loss for those in the West Midlands.
Wolves will hope Joao Gomes isn’t next
Though there are expected to be further departures, there’s hope that there won’t be any surprises from now until the end of the window.
Goncalo Guedes wants to leave, and Nelson Semedo’s future hasn’t been decided, representing two likely exits in the coming weeks.
Gomes has generated transfer interest amid his stark rise since signing for Wolves in January 2023, and after the exits of Ait-Nouri and Cunha, fans will hope that the Brazilian isn’t on his way out any time soon.
The midfielder was named Wolves’ Supporters’ Player of the Season, telling of how valued he is among the Old Gold’s fan base.
Cunha and Ait-Nouri’s goal threat can be replaced, but the idea of losing Gomes would be another level of pain.
Fortunately, this is incredibly unlikely this summer, but who knows what the future holds?