Manchester City are optimistic of signing the Wolves full-back Rayan Aït-Nouri as part of their summer revamp. City are yet to bid for the Algeria defender but he is regarded as a primary target. City’s chair, Khaldoon al-Mubarak, has said the club were not aggressive enough in the market last summer and want to complete most of their close-season business in time for the Club World Cup with their first game on 18 June. The Lyon midfielder Rayan Cherki is another target.
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Guardiola has been keen to strengthen at left-back after playing centre-back Josko Gvardiol and midfielder Nico O’Reilly – neither of whom are orthodox full-backs – there for most of last season. City are among the clubs to have tracked the Bournemouth defender Milos Kerkez, who is expected to join Liverpool. The Premier League champions want to add a left-back to compete with Andy Robertson.
Aït-Nouri has impressed in four seasons at Wolves, for whom he initially signed on loan from Ligue 1 club Angers in October 2020. Wolves are thought to value the 23-year-old at about £50m. He has 12 months remaining on his contract, though the club hold an option to extend his deal for a further year.
Wolves, who sold Matheus Cunha to Manchester United in a £62.5m deal, have not given hope of retaining their captain, Nelson Semedo, who is out of contract this summer. He is yet to respond to the offer of a new four-year contract.
In April, the Wolves’ head coach, Vitor Pereira, said of the Portugal full-back: “He knows I want him to stay. He’s very important with the group. But it’s his life, his family life and if he decides to move we need to find another one, another good man.”
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