Man City eye move for Wolves defender Ait-Nouri

Pep Guardiola looks to bolster squad ahead of Club World Cup, with the eight-time Premier League champions also chasing Tijjani Reijnders and Rayan Cherki.

Manchester City are confident in signing Wolverhampton Wanderers full back Rayan Ait-Nouri ahead of the Club World Cup, which begins on June 15.

City, who will take part in the summer competition in the United States with Premier League rivals Chelsea, have been without a native left-back since Benjamin Mendy left the club in August 2021.

Pep Guardiola has since used others such as Josko Gvardiol, Joao Cancelo and Oleksandr Zinchenko in the left-back role but is looking to address the issue with Ait-Nouri.

There has been no contact between City and Wolves but sources are confident that an agreement will be met and the deal will be done.

Ait-Nouri would need to have his swap completed before June 10 in order to play in the Club World Cup and be eligible for the group stage of the competition.

City have been long admirers of the Algeria international and, after chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak stated he would give Guardiola everything he needs for the upcoming season, it's likely the defender will be a City player in the coming weeks.

"[We signed] four players in January and that gives you an idea of what's coming this summer because we will continue this summer with this, serving the needs of the club," he said.

"And I can tell you today, we have clearly identified who exactly are the targets, in what positions. And we'll go about our business and it will be very clear, very swift. And our objective is to try to be ready with the new squad for the Club World Cup."

The eight-time Premier League winners are also showing an interest in AC Milan midfielder Tijjani Reijnders, whose estimated value is around £50m.

The 26-year-old joined the Serie A club in 2023 and has made 73 appearances since, scoring 13 times and was named in the Italian league's team of the season.

City are eyeing up a move for Lyon attacking midfielder Rayan Cherki as well. The Frenchman is sought as one of the most exciting young talents in the world at the moment and is valued at £35m.

Providing City agree deals with both midfielders, which would bolster Guardiola's options centrally, it would grow more doubt over the future of a move for Nottingham Forest star Morgan Gibbs-White - though a deal is still very much possible.