Manchester City targeting deal for Rayan Ait Nouri

Manchester City are working on a deal to sign Wolverhampton Wanderers left-back Rayan Ait-Nouri, according to The Athletic.

City are also considering alternatives, but the Wolves man is understood to be at the top of their shortlist.

Given their lack of options, which saw them deploy Josko Gvardiol and Nico O’Reilly heavily at left-back last season, it is no surprise City are in the market for reinforcement in that position.

Ait Nouri has impressed over the last couple of seasons, catching the eye of several top Premier League sides, including Chelsea and Liverpool.

He featured in 37 league matches for Wolves in the recently concluded campaign, scoring four times and providing seven assists.

His defensive work rate, combined with his flair going forward, has seen his stock rise significantly.

The Algerian is also capable of playing higher up the pitch as a wing-back — a trait Pep Guardiola values highly in his fluid tactical setups.

While City and Wolves are yet to reach an agreement over a deal for Ait Nouri, there is a growing expectation that he will move to the Etihad sooner rather than later.

Despite Ait Nouri having one year left on his existing deal, Wolves are expected to demand a fee in excess of £40 million for one of their prized assets.

City would ideally like to wrap up the majority of their transfer business before heading to the United States for the FIFA Club World Cup later this month.

They are also in contact with AC Milan and Olympique Lyon for the services of Tijjani Reijnders and Rayan Cherki respectively, as the erstwhile English champions look to bounce back from an underwhelming campaign last time out.

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