Manchester City have confirmed the signing of RayanAït-Nouri from Wolves for a fee of £36.3m, and it could be one of the shrewdest bits of business of the summer transfer window. Pep Guardiola has been crying out for a natural left back for years, and now he has a player who can storm forward and add an extra element to attacks as well.
Aït-Nouri has been one of the few positives in a struggling Wolves side for many seasons, and now the Algerian has the chance to take his game to the next level under one of the greatest managers in the world.
Manchester City Finally Land a Natural Left-Back
After years of plugging the position with converted centre-backs and utility players, City may have finally found the ideal player to fix their problems at left-back. Aït-Nouri was an early acquisition in the summer transfer market, and he has already made his debut in the Club World Cup.
The former Wolves man took part in the 6-0 thrashing of Al Ain, and showcased his full range of abilities in the demolition job. An article in the Guardian described how Guardiola was thrilled with his performance, with the Spaniard announcing that he was “really pleased with the game he played.”
Guardiola is famous for putting square pegs in round holes and somehow making it work, and his City side have managed without a natural left back for years. Portuguese star João Cancelo shined in the role for a few seasons, but since his departure, the side has clearly been lacking in this department.
Premier League-Ready and Statistically Impressive
After a disappointing season in 2024-25, Guardiola couldn’t afford to get things wrong in the transfer market. He identified left-back as a key position to address, and brought in a Premier League-proven player to solve the problem. This is likely to be an excellent strategy, as Aït-Nouri has already shown that he can cut it against the top teams at his former club. With established stars around him and the guidance of Guardiola, he can take that to the next level at City.
Aït-Nouri’s numbers are already impressive. He has 135 top-flight appearances under his belt already, and notched four goals and seven assists in the previous campaign. The addition of this talent to City’s lineup has already caused some sportsbooks to begin favouring City to climb back to the top of the table in the season ahead. Indeed, the odds available at Betway Sports have City at 9/4 to win the 2025-26 campaign as of the 26th of June, with them placed as joint-second favourites alongside Arsenal and behind Liverpool.
Along with having good defensive discipline, Aït-Nouri has already established himself as one of the most attacking fullbacks in the Premier League. Many of his attributes are reminiscent of Kyle Walker’s, and if he can have the same impact that the Englishman had at City, it will be good news for Guardiola.
Aït-Nouri’s Tactical Versatility Could Lead to Surprises From Guardiola
Even it seems obvious that Aït-Nouri will be coming to City to play as a left back, it’s not out of the question to ponder whether Guardiola has different plans for the player. The former Barcelona manager has been known to repurpose players in different positions throughout his career, often seeing something in them that other coaches haven’t seen. Indeed, as noted in OneFootball, one of the greatest moves of Guardiola’s career was when he transformed Lionel Messi into a central playmaker.
Aït-Nouri has attributes that could make it possible to play him in a different position to a traditional left-back. He has already shown that he’s capable of inverting into midfield and overlapping with fluidity, meaning that he could be used in different ways depending on the game situation. This will make it hard for opposing coaches to predict what Guardiola plans to do, meaning that Aït-Nouri could be a real ace in the hole for the manager next season.
Guardiola needs an instant comeback after last season’s disappointment, and the signing of Aït-Nouri is a huge statement. The player can serve a range of roles at City but, most importantly, he offers them a solid option at left back for the first time in years. There’s a chance that the Algerian could go on to be the signing of the season.