Rayan Ait-Nouri names influential figures who talked him into Manchester City switch | OneFootball

Manchester City’s latest signing has provided a peak through the curtain into conversations with former and current Etihad Stadium players leading to his arrival.

Rayan Ait-Nouri completed a £31.7 million move from Wolves to Manchester City on Monday after passing a medical and completing media duties at the weekend, making him Pep Guardiola’s first summer signing.

The 24-year-old solves an issue that has stung City for too long and a disappointing season in which the defence failed to live up to expectations, with Pep Guardiola only managing a third-place Premier League finish and exiting the Champions League before the last-16.

Manchester City are also expected to sign a right-back to replace Kyle Walker, who has been told he has no future at the club beyond the summer after losing his place in the starting eleven in the fall of 2024 before moving to AC Milan on loan in January.

Newcastle United and England international Tino Livramento has been identified as a target to replace Walker but talks between Manchester City and the north-east club have hit a stumbling block ahead of Tuesday’s 7PM UK transfer deadline.

However, Guardiola will be delighted with City’s transfer business ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup with Ait-Nouri set to be joined by Tijjani Reijnders, Rayan Cherki and Marcus Bettinelli in time to be registered and eligible for the tournament in the United States.

City’s new director of football Hugo Viana is eyeing a few more signings when the market reopens following the conclusion of the Club World Cup, with Pep Guardiola and co set to face Wydad AC in their opening group stage clash next week.

Ait-Nouri will get his first minutes in a Manchester City shirt sooner rather than later and upon the completion of his transfer from Wolves, the Algerian has lifted the lid on conversations he had leading to his arrival at the Etihad Stadium.

“Yeah, I spoke with Riyad (Mahrez) – I am with him in the (Algeria) National Team, and it was the same as Matheus (Nunes, former team-mate at Wolves),” Ait-Nouri said in his first interview as a Manchester City player.

“Riyad (Mahrez) told me about the city and he told me to give everything for this club – one of the biggest clubs in the world – and I will try to follow him.”

Ait-Nouri will also be delighted to rejoin forces with former Wolves teammate Matheus Nunes in Manchester City colours.

“We (Ait-Nouri and Nunes) were always together when we were at Wolves,” the defender added.

“I spoke a little bit with him (Nunes) and he told me about the city – we didn’t speak about the football, we spoke about the city and the life in Manchester, and I am very excited to join up with Matheus again.”