Liverpool and Chelsea in battle to sign Rayan Aït-Nouri for £30m
According to a report by Said Benhammadi in the Gazette du Fennec, Liverpool and Chelsea are in a battle to sign Wolves star Rayan Aït-Nouri this summer.
Aït-Nouri joined Wolves, initially on loan and then for £10 million, from Angers in 2020, making 116 appearances for Old Gold and scoring seven goals, scoring against Fulham and Burnley in the first division last season.
A left-back by trade, Gary O'Neil used the 23-year-old as a winger for the vast majority of the campaign, a position in which he thrived, helping Wolves to a respectable 14th-place finish.
Born in France, he represented Les Bleuets at both under-18 and under-21 level, before switching his international allegiance to Algeria, making his debut for the Fennec Foxes in March 2023, earning 12 caps to date and being starter in all three African Cup matches. of Nations in January, as well as World Cup qualifying matches against Guinea and Uganda earlier this month.
It seems his potential has caught the eye as the report says Liverpool and Chelsea are considering a move for Aït-Nouri this summer, while city man They are also named as possible suitors.
Why are the big clubs interested in Aït-Nouri?
As mentioned, Aït-Nouri really caught the eye when he was pushed further forward into a left-wing position, having previously played as a left-back or full-back.
His attacking threat could make him an excellent full-back for a top team, getting forward while also being solid defensively.
At 23 years old, he also has a lot of potential to improve.
Will Wolves be forced to sell?
As Benhammadi alludes in the Gazette du Fennec, Super agent Jorge Mendes represents Aït-Nouri.
Mendes famously has a close relationship with Wolves, but will not hesitate to move forward with his client if there is an offer from the likes of Liverpool or Chelsea on the table.
Like many of their Premier League counterparts, Wolves are in danger of breaching profitability and sustainability standards and were forced to sell Rúben Neves to Al-Hilal for £47m and Manchester City for Matheus Nunes for £53m last summer to avoid points. -penalty fee.
Having bought Tommy Doyle for £4.3m and Rodrigo Gomes for £12.7m, the Wanderers reportedly have to sell one of their prized assets during this transfer window to avoid a PSR violation.
As they desperately look to retain in-demand Pedro Neto and Max Kilman, could Aït-Nouri be the sacrificed player? Liverpool and Chelsea appear to be interested, and the player would certainly jump at the chance to move if a deal could be agreed with either club.
