Liverpool, Arsenal present dangerous interest in PL defender with ‘groundwork’ for moves ongoing | OneFootball

Wolves defender Rayan Ait-Nouri alongside the Liverpool, Arsenal badges

Liverpool and Arsenal are both reportedly among the clubs monitoring Rayan Ait-Nouri, and Wolves ‘could be susceptible to bids for their top players’ in the summer.

The Reds have shipped the least goals of any side in the Premier League this season, with the Gunners second on that list. However, both sides have their own issues at the back, namely in the left-back spot.

Paul Merson recently stated Oleksandr Zinchenko could be a “problem” for Arsenal, and the defender shouldn’t play against big teams. The other option they have to play there is Takehiro Tomiyasu, who’s a centre-back turned right-back.

Liverpool are currently playing without an actual left-back, with Joe Gomez deputising for the injured Andy Robertson and Kostas Tsimikas.

As such, that both sides are reportedly ‘monitoring’ Wolves man Ait-Nouri as they look to ‘improve their defensive depth’ – as per Football Insider – makes sense.

That report states the pair of Premier League giants are ‘laying the groundwork for a potential switch’. It looks like that won’t be in January, though, as it’s said Ait-Nouri is ‘all but certain’ to remain at Molineux past the deadline.

He’s currently away at the African Cup of Nations, so the logistics of a transfer would be near impossible to sort out.

That said, Wolves could apparently ‘be susceptible to bids for their top players’ come the summer, and with two of the league’s biggest sides already moving into position for Ait-Nouri, there’s a genuine chance he moves on then.

It’s said a move in the summer is a ‘real possibility’ but it remains to be seen which side he goes to.

Arsenal’s Zinchenko issues aren’t likely to have cleared up by then – if he’s seen as a defensive liability now, a few months are not likely to change that.

For Liverpool, both their left-backs will probably be back in the mix by the summer, but with Robertson nearing 30 and Tsimikas only a couple of years behind him, they’ll be looking to the future.

Ait-Nouri is 22 years old, and has played 82 Premier League games, so could be a good pick up to sit behind one of those men initially – likely Robertson – while vying for a place in the side, and potentially displacing the Scot at some point down the line.

That said, it’ll be interesting to see if both clubs’ interest stands until the summer, when both might look to make a move on the Wolves man.