Manchester City begin pursuit of Wolves defender as deal conditions requested | OneFootball

Officials at Manchester City are stepping up their pursuit of bringing in a new left-sided full-back into Pep Guardiola’s squad ahead of the new season, it has been reported.

The role is one of a number of positions expected to undergo attention from the side of Etihad Stadium recruitment bosses, who are believed to be targeting a minimum of four new arrivals to add to their January transfer business.

The winter window welcomed in another four players at a time when Manchester City were seriously struggling with injury concerns and growing doubts over their ability to secure a UEFA Champions League place come the end of the campaign.

With additions in defence, midfield, and attack, the work is seemingly not done from the perspective of club bosses, who are intent on putting together a playing squad ready to compete on all fronts from the start of the next season.

And among the positions due to undergo attention are both full-back roles, with Pep Guardiola having battled with players out of position in those areas of the pitch, which led to the emergence of Nico O’Reilly at left-back and Matheus Nunes at right-back.

Now, according to the information of transfer market insider Fabrizio Romano, Manchester City officials have asked for the conditions of a potential deal for Wolverhampton Wanderers left-back, Rayan Aït-Nouri.

It is revealed that the 23-year-old Algeria international is high on the list for the left-back position at the Etihad Stadium, and contacts are expected to continue in the coming weeks for the player.

The full-back has been a star of the Molineux operation for five years having initially joined the club on a season-long loan agreement during the summer transfer window of 2020 – a deal that included a permanent purchase option.

After an encouraging campaign with the club, Wolves made no hesitation in activating their option to buy the player permanently from French side Angers, sanctioning a £9.8 million deal for the player on an initial five-year contract with an option of a further year in 2021.

Having been first linked with the player during his development at Wolves back in 2022, the feeling at the time was that Manchester City would have to issue an investment of around £45 million for the player.

However, having gone from strength to strength in the last three seasons and coming into the summer market off the back of a hugely impressive individual campaign at Wolves, the expectation would be for the player’s valuation to be even higher.

City will likely point towards the defender entering the final 12 months of his contract as to why they should be eligible to a reduced fee, and it remains to be seen whether the relationship with Wolves after securing Matheus Nunes in 2023 will benefit this round of talks.