Crystal Palace and Newcastle United are among the clubs in contention to sign Wolves full-back Rayan Ait-Nouri in January.
According to a report from Jeunes Footeux, Rayan Ait-Nouri has become a hot property in the transfer market, with Newcastle United and Crystal Palace among clubs interested in his services. The Wolves full-back has raised many eyebrows with his performances in the Premier League, and a January exit could be on the horizon.
Formerly of Paris FC youth academy, Ait-Nouri arrived in England last summer on a season-long loan deal from SCO Angers. He enjoyed a fairly successful debut season in the Premier League, featuring in 21 league matches. It compelled Wolves to sign him up on a permanent deal this summer for a fee of just €11 million.
It was a wise decision by the club management, as the youngster has continued his progress under new coach Bruno Lage, after initially experiencing a slow start to the campaign.
Indeed, the left-back was playing behind Marcal during the early stages of the season. But since the 1-1 draw with Leeds United, Ait-Nouri has started every league game for Wolves so far, becoming a vital cog in the side due to his athleticism, pace and technical abilities.
His performances have not gone unnoticed either, with Crystal Palace, in particular, keen on securing his services in January. It appears the Londoners are looking for a new left-back that can compete with Tyrick Mitchell during the second half of the campaign, and that is where the young Frenchman comes into the fray.
However, the Eagles are set to face stiff competition from Newcastle United in the pursuit of Rayan Ait-Nouri. The Magpies will likely be able to hand the youngster a guaranteed starting spot during the second half of the campaign. They are understandably eager to escape the relegation battle under new manager Eddie Howe, who is also eyeing a move for Liverpool target Lloyd Kelly.
With neither Matt Ritchie nor Jamal Lewis performing consistently enough in the left-back position, Newcastle have identified the 20-year-old Ait-Nouri as a potential target to address the issue.
Wolves are believed to be open to selling Ait-Nouri next month, although they are unlikely to budge for anything less than €25-30 million. It might not be a problem for the cash-rich Newcastle, although it won’t be surprising to see Palace step up their efforts as well.
Ait-Nouri, though, isn’t the only player likely to leave the Molineux in January, as Wolves are also tipped to sell Adama Traore. The Spanish international is a target for Liverpool, Barcelona and Juventus, with the West Midlands outfit hoping that his sale can help them raise funds to sign their January targets, including on-loan forward Hwang Hee-chan.