Manchester City Sign Rayan Ait-Nouri on Long-Term Deal Until 2030

Manchester City have signed Algerian left-back Rayan Ait-Nouri from Wolves. He will stay at the club until June 2030.

WHAT HAPPENED?

Manchester City have agreed to pay Wolverhampton Wanderers around €40 million (£34 million) for Rayan Ait-Nouri. The 23-year-old Algerian will have medical tests on Saturday and then sign a long-term contract until 2030. City acted quickly to sign the attacking left-back before their Club World Cup campaign. They play against Morocco’s Wydad AC next Wednesday.

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Signing Ait-Nouri is a big move for the Premier League champions. They paid much less than the original £50 million price. This transfer is part of Pep Guardiola’s plan to refresh the team for next season. The Algerian had a great season with Wolves, scoring and assisting 12 goals. His attacking style attracted City’s attention.

Manchester City are at the top of the Premier League. They won their fourth straight title last month. They want to strengthen their team before both domestic matches and the Club World Cup, where they are European champions.

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR CITY’S DEFENSE

Guardiola will use Ait-Nouri as a left-back. This will allow Josko Gvardiol to play more as a center-back next season. The Algerian will compete with Nico O’Reilly and Gvardiol for the starting left-back position. His attacking skills and Premier League experience make him a good fit for Guardiola’s system.

WHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER CITY?

After Ait-Nouri’s medical tests on Saturday, Manchester City will likely announce the signing early next week. The club is making many signings before the Club World Cup. City will play Wydad AC in the first match of the tournament on Wednesday. They hope Ait-Nouri will be ready to play. With the Premier League season starting in August, Guardiola will have time to fit Ait-Nouri into the team during pre-season training.