Manchester United were on the lookout for a left wingback as soon as Ruben Amorim arrived due to the lack of quality at his disposal.
Both Noussair Mazraoui and Diogo Dalot are traditional fullbacks, which meant they could not fulfill the head coach’s demands. Meanwhile, Luke Shaw remained injured while Tyrell Malacia’s struggles post-injury meant the club decided to loan him out.
Quite a few names were linked with a move to Old Trafford in January but ultimately the Red Devils opted to sign Patrick Dorgu from Lecce in January.
The Dane has been a revelation since joining and is versatile enough to play on either flank. Which is why signing another left wingback is not beyond the realms of imagination.
Ait-Nouri has been a long-term target
Rayan Ait-Nouri has long been a target for the 20-time English league champions due to his impressive displays for Wolverhampton Wanderers.
The Midlands club have struggled this season but not the Algerian, who has four goals and five assists. And Wolves would find it hard to hold on to the 23-year-old given the interest he is generating.
Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool, and Arsenal are all eyeing the former Angers SCO star who was initially valued by Wolves at £60 million.
However, with his contract up in 2026 and no new agreement in sight between both parties, they could sell for £40 million as per Football Insider.
Price fall
“Tottenham would need to pay a “huge” £40million fee to secure the signing on Rayan Ait-Nouri from Wolves, sources have told Football Insider.
“Senior correspondent Pete O’Rourke revealed that Spurs have joined the likes of Liverpool, Arsenal and Man United in their pursuit of the 23-year-old.”
United and other suitors could potentially bring that price down even further. And Ait-Nouri’s signing would be a steal given his pedigree, age and Premier League experience.
He fits Amorim’s system perfectly as he is able to excel as a wingback. He is in the 98 percentile for successful take-ons and in the 90th percentile for tackles (via fbref), which shows he can add a mix of silk and steel out wide.
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Ayantan Chowdhury
Ayantan has worked for 10 years in the Indian sports media industry, writing for the biggest newspapers and websites but his heart was always set on writing about his favourite club. Currently an editor at The Peoples Person. You can follow him on X: @ayantanc_25
