Manchester City have officially signed Algerian left-back Rayan Aït-Nouri from Wolverhampton Wanderers in a deal worth up to £36.3 million.
The agreement includes an initial fee of £31 million, with an additional £5.3 million in potential add-ons. Aït-Nouri has committed to a five-year contract, keeping him at the Etihad Stadium until 2030 .
The 23-year-old defender joins City in time to be part of their squad for the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup in the United States, which begins on June 18. Last season, Aït-Nouri was a standout performer for Wolves, featuring in 37 of their 38 Premier League matches, scoring four goals and providing seven assists.
Since his arrival at Molineux in 2020 from Angers, he has made 157 appearances and earned 17 caps for the Algerian national team .
This transfer marks Manchester City’s first acquisition of a specialist left-back in six years, addressing a position that has previously been filled by center-backs like Joško Gvardiol and Nathan Aké. City’s Director of Football, Hugo Viana, highlighted Aït-Nouri’s Premier League and international experience, as well as his potential for further development under manager Pep Guardiola .
The deal also benefits Aït-Nouri’s former club, Angers, who will receive approximately £9.7 million due to a 50% sell-on clause included in his previous transfer agreement .
Aït-Nouri’s signing is part of a broader strategy by Manchester City to strengthen their squad ahead of the Club World Cup, with additional signings like AC Milan’s Tijjani Reijnders and Lyon’s Rayan Cherki also in the pipeline .
