Blog

Liverpool and Chelsea are battling to sign Wolverhampton star Ryan Ait-Nouri in the summer, according to a report from Said Benhammadi in la Gazette du Fennec.

Ait-Nouri joined Wolves from Angers in 2020, initially on loan and then for £10 million. He made 116 appearances for Wolves and scored seven goals, including strikes against Fulham and Burnley in the Premier League last season.

A nominal left-back, Gary O’Neill used the 23-year-old as a winger for most of the season, where he performed admirably, helping Wolves to a respectable 14th-place finish.

Born in France, he represented Les Bleuets (youth team) at under-18 and under-21 levels before switching his football nationality to Algeria. Having made his debut for the Desert Foxes in March 2023, he has 12 caps to date, starting all three Africa Cup of Nations games in January, as well as World Cup qualifiers against Guinea and Uganda this month.

Ait-Nouri’s potential appears to have caught the attention of the giants, with Liverpool and Chelsea considering signing him this summer, according to a report, while Manchester City have also been mentioned as a possible suitor.

Why are big clubs interested in Ait-Nuri?
As mentioned, Ait-Nouri really caught the eye when he was moved to a more attacking left winger position, having previously played as a left back or full back.

His attacking threat could make him an excellent full-back for a top club, capable of both connecting to the attack and defending reliably.

At 23 years old, he also has a lot of potential for further growth.

Will Wolves be forced to sell the player?
As Benhammadi hints in la Gazette du Fennec, Ait-Nouri’s interests are represented by super-agent Jorge Mendes.

Mendes is known to have a close relationship with Wolves but will not hesitate if his client receives an offer from the likes of Liverpool or Chelsea.

Like many other Premier League clubs, Wolves risk breaking the rules of profitability and sustainability, having been forced to sell Ruben Neves to Al-Hilal for £47m and Matheus Nunez to Manchester City for £53m last summer to avoid a penalty in the form of points being removed.

Having already acquired Tommy Doyle for £4.3m and Rodrigo Gomez for £12.7m, Wolves are reportedly expected to sell one of their prized assets this transfer window to avoid breaking the rules.

As they desperately try to retain in-demand Pedro Neto and Max Kilman, could Ait-Nouri be the player to be sacrificed? Liverpool and Chelsea appear to be interested and the player would no doubt jump at the chance to move if a deal with either club is agreed.