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Man City sign defender Ait-Nouri from Wolves

9 Jun 2025
Ait-Nouri

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Manchester City have signed left-back Rayan Ait-Nouri from Wolverhampton Wanderers

The 24-year-old defender has completed a move to the Etihad Stadium following five seasons at Wolves, where he made 135 Premier League appearances, scoring nine goals and providing 11 assists.

He has signed a five-year contract to keep him at Man City until the summer of 2030.

Ait-Nouri told Man City's official website: "I am incredibly happy and honoured to have joined Manchester City.

"City are one of the biggest clubs in the world and the chance to play for the club is a dream come true.

"I am also excited about working with and learning from Pep and his coaching team and getting to train and play alongside such a world-class group of players."

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Hugo Viana, Man City's director of football, said: "Rayan is a player that as a club we have been following closely for quite some time and we are delighted he has joined us.

"He already has extensive Premier League experience and has also demonstrated his quality at international level with Algeria.

"We feel sure that he will be an excellent addition to our squad and that working alongside Pep and his coaching staff will help develop his game even further."

Ait-Nouri’s career so far

Ait-Nouri was born in Montreuil, a suburb of the French capital Paris, on 6 June 2001.

The defender signed his first professional contract aged 16, joining Ligue 1 club Angers from his childhood side Paris FC. 

He would go on to make only 23 appearances before being lured to the Premier League by Wolves in October 2020, initially on loan.

Ait-Nouri made an instant impression, scoring his first professional goal on his debut, a 2-0 home win against Crystal Palace.

The move was made permanent in the following summer, July 2021, with Ait-Nouri signing a five-year contract.

The left-back represented France at Under-18, Under-19 and Under-21 levels before deciding to play for Algeria at senior level, making his debut against Niger in March 2023.

Where does he fit in?

Ait-Nouri’s arrival will provide significant competition on the left side of Man City’s defence.  

The signing suggests that Pep Guardiola intends to utilise the versatile Josko Gvardiol as a central defender, with the Croat deployed in that position for the final two months of 2024/25, having previously played predominantly at left-back.

Nico O'Reilly, City’s 20-year-old prospect, filled the vacant left-back spot during the latter part of the campaign.

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09 Jun 2025

Man City sign Ait-Nouri: Watch his BEST BITS for Wolves

As the defender completes his transfer to Man City, here are some of the best moments from his time at Molineux Stadium

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