Manchester City advancing on deal for Premier League defender | OneFootball

Officials at Manchester City are now advancing their pursuit of Wolverhampton Wanderers left-back Rayan Ait-Nouri, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The 23-year-old full-back is expected to be one of three new arrivals into Pep Guardiola’s first-team squad ahead of the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup, as Hugo Viana and Txiki Begiristain work hand-in-hand to welcome in a new iteration of City’s roster.

The Portuguese official – who has arrived at Manchester City from Sporting CP – is due to take on the role of sporting director on a permanent basis after the summer’s tournament in the United States, with Begiristain leaving the post after 13 years in charge.

But work is not slowing down for the Spaniard in any way, as City expect to bring in at least four new faces over the course of the off-season with Tijjani Reijnders the first agreement to be struck this week.

The Dutchman is due to arrive on a five-year contract following his commitments to the Netherlands during the international break in a deal that could rise to €70 million depending on add-ons hit beyond the initial €55 million fee.

And the central midfielder is likely to now spark a chain reaction in the transfer department as Manchester City continue their work intensely by switching attentions to one of the Premier League’s standout performers.

According to the information of transfer market insider Fabrizio Romano, officials at City are now advancing in their pursuit of Algeria international Rayan Aït-Nouri following initial talks with Wolverhampton Wanderers.

It is explained that the next steps around a potential deal are due to follow in the ‘upcoming days’ after Manchester City received the player’s green light to join the Etihad Stadium club this summer.

Interest in the full-back comes after widespread reports had linked Manchester City with a number of other left-sided options, particularly Juventus and Italy’s Andrea Cambiaso – first mooted as a target in January.

Amid the expected arrivals of Tijjani Reijnders and Rayan Ait-Nouri, City officials are also confident of doing a deal with Lyon to bring in Rayan Cherki as a new talent for their attacking midfield role after Kevin De Bruyne’s pending exit from the club.

The Belgian international is expected to finalise a move to Napoli on a free transfer in the coming days and weeks after Manchester City opted not to extend his contractual agreement with the club beyond June 2025.