From Spain: Jorge Mendes Contacts Manchester City Over Barcelona Star as Rayan Ait-Nouri Eyes January Exit

From Spain: Jorge Mendes Contacts Manchester City Over Barcelona Star as Rayan Ait-Nouri Eyes January Exit Rayan Ait-Nouri is expected to leave Manchester City in January 2027. Most Manchester City fans would tell you that left-back has been their side’s most problematic position over the last decade, with the spot rarely belonging to any one player for any great length of time. One would have to go back to the days of Gaël Clichy and Aleksandar Kolarov sharing the duties to find the last time the club had two stars who were already established in the position when they signed. Since then the left-back slot has been filled by several converted English midfielders, two young Spaniards who never nailed down regular minutes, a small army of right-backs and centre-backs playing out of position and former attacking midfielder Oleksandr Zinchenko. Even the natural left-backs that have arrived in that period have seen their game time severely limited by injury or fallen out of favour with managers. That could all be about to change, though, with reports suggesting that director of football Hugo Viana is keeping one eye on the left-back market ahead of January. The most recent name to have cropped up is Barcelona full-back Alejandro Balde, who has slipped down the pecking order under Hansi Flick this season. However, any move would likely hinge on outgoings at the Etihad. Balde's complete lack of starts so far this campaign has allegedly alerted several Premier League heavyweights, with Spanish outlet Sport reporting that agent Jorge Mendes has been sounding out English clubs. Joško Gvardiol and Nico O'Reilly currently shoulder the defensive responsibilities on the left of Enzo Maresca's backline, but both could be utilised in other parts of the pitch. Adding further complexity is the situation surrounding Rayan Aït-Nouri. Since arriving at the Etihad Stadium in June 2025, the Algeria international has struggled for regular playing time, managing just a handful of starts and reportedly looking for an exit in January to reignite his career elsewhere. Whether Manchester City choose to formalise their interest in Balde will likely depend on whether Aït-Nouri gets a move away during the winter window. Barcelona are believed to be open to a sale in the region of €40 million, though Mendes reportedly considers an initial loan with an option to buy a more viable exit strategy for his client. Transfer race heats up across the Premier League Securing Balde's signature will be far from straightforward and there is bound to be widespread competition from across the continent. The report, as relayed by Sport Witness , has noted that Liverpool , Aston Villa and Tottenham  are all keeping tabs on the 23-year-old's evolving situation, alongside Manchester United and Italian giants Juventus . Balde is understood to prefer a move to the Premier League, where interested clubs are weighing up a deal ahead of December's final planning. With Manchester City preparing for a congested run of fixtures, they will want to keep Aït-Nouri close unless and until a replacement is found. Whether Balde becomes a concrete target remains to be seen over the coming weeks.