Man City Sign Wolves’ Ait-Nouri in £31m Deal Until 2030

Manchester City sign Wolves defender Ait-Nouri for £31m

Manchester City have completed the signing of Wolves left-back Rayan Ait-Nouri in a £31m deal, with the Algeria international signing a contract that runs until 2030.

The 24-year-old will be available for the Club World Cup, where City face Wydad AC of Morocco on 18 June as part of the newly-expanded tournament.

Ait-Nouri becomes City’s second signing of the summer, following the £46.3m arrival of Dutch midfielder Tijjani Reijnders from AC Milan. These deals follow an aggressive January window where the club spent around £200m, continuing to strengthen Pep Guardiola’s squad.

Ait-Nouri had joined Wolves permanently in 2021 from Angers for £14.9m after a season-long loan. He featured 41 times across all competitions last season, scoring five goals and providing seven assists, playing a vital role as Wolves avoided relegation.

He now becomes Wolves’ second major exit of the summer following Matheus Cunha’s £62.5m move to Manchester United.

“City are one of the biggest clubs in the world and the chance to play here is a dream come true,” said Ait-Nouri.

“I’m excited to work with Pep Guardiola and such a world-class team. I want to keep improving and help the club achieve more success.”

Analysis: ‘The perfect fit’ for Guardiola’s system

Edu Rubio, a former Wolves coach who worked with Ait-Nouri in 2022-23, praised the full-back’s ability to adapt to Guardiola’s tactical demands:

“His technical quality in tight areas and close control make him a perfect fit for Pep’s possession style. He can also drive forward with pace, helping City break lines and move quickly in transition.”

Rubio highlighted Ait-Nouri’s defensive development, noting his improvement in 1v1 duels and versatility down the flank — including inverted full-back roles. However, he pointed out that Ait-Nouri still needs to work on quicker decision-making and increasing his end product in the final third.

“At City, he’ll be expected to contribute more assists, but he has the tools to make that leap.”