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Manchester City near £31m deal for Rayan Ait-Nouri to solve left-back issue with attacking flair, defensive strength, and versatility.
Manchester City are closing in on the £31 million signing of Wolves wing-back Rayan Ait-Nouri as Pep Guardiola looks to finally solve his side’s long-standing left-back dilemma.
The 24-year-old Algerian international is set for a medical this weekend, with the deal featuring £5 million in add-ons, expected to be closed before June 10, ensuring his eligibility for the Club World Cup.
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The move brings an end to City’s search for a natural left-back since Benjamin Mendy’s last appearance in August 2021.
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Ait-Nouri was Guardiola’s top target to reinforce a position that has seen a rotation of players including Joao Cancelo, Oleksandr Zinchenko, and most recently youngster Nico O’Reilly.
“His technical competency, his ability and skill in tight areas – keeping the ball close to his feet – give him the opportunity to fit perfectly into Pep Guardiola’s possession-based play,” said former Wolves coach Edu Rubio as per BBC.
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Pulse Sports looks at three reasons why Manchester City believe Ait-Nouri is the perfect fit:
3. An Answer to City’s Left-Back Void
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Since Mendy’s departure, Guardiola has patched the position using makeshift solutions, including centre-backs and midfielders.
Josko Gvardiol and even academy graduate Nico O'Reilly have been tried in the role. However, none have truly embodied the specialist full-back attributes Pep's system demands.
Ait-Nouri offers both defensive strength and offensive dynamism. His ability to play as an inverted full-back, combined with his pace and dribbling, gives Guardiola the versatility he craves on the flank.
2. Attacking Output from Deep
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Last season, Ait-Nouri contributed 11 goal involvements—more than any other Premier League defender—with five goals and seven assists.
The Algerian attacking threat is no fluke. Only Leif Davis, Pedro Porro and Trent Alexander-Arnold created more chances than Ait-Nouri’s 46 across the 2023–24 campaign.
“He can also dribble with speed, to get the team up the pitch driving with the ball, which is probably what Manchester City need right now – players who can break lines,” Rubio added.
City full-backs are expected to contribute to attacks hence Ait-Nouri’s numbers highlight a player who thrives going forward.
Having been a successful dribbler with 63 completed dribbles, second only to Aaron Wan-Bissaka, further shows his directness and ability to unsettle defenses.
1. Defensive Maturity in the Final Third
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While often lauded for his flair, Ait-Nouri also brings steel. No defender in the Premier League recovered possession more times in the final third than him last season.
This kind of defensive work rate aligns with Guardiola’s philosophy of winning the ball high and dominating territory.
“Defensively he has improved his game since his arrival to the Premier League and his one-v-one defending is of a very good standard,” Rubio noted.
“He can cope physically and is a very versatile player.”
Though there's room to improve—particularly in speeding up his decision-making and increasing his assist tally—City believe Ait-Nouri can evolve quickly under Guardiola’s guidance.
Following their £46.3 million move for AC Milan midfielder Tijjani Reijnders, City’s summer spending is already significant, building on the £200 million splashed in January.
With Ait-Nouri's arrival, Guardiola seems to be putting together a new-look side, blending youth, pace, and technical intelligence.
If the deal goes through as expected, Rayan Ait-Nouri may soon prove to be one of the shrewdest additions of City’s modern era—an answer to a tactical puzzle Pep has long struggled to solve.
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