Rayan Ait-Nouri Expected to Leave Manchester City in January as Juventus And Man United Circle

Rayan Ait-Nouri Expected to Leave Manchester City in January as Juventus And Man United Circle A January departure from Manchester City looms for Rayan Ait-Nouri, as things stand. More Videos Ait-Nouri, 25, joined the Blues from Wolves in the summer of 2025 for an initial fee of around £31 million, signing a five-year contract that runs until 2030. The Algeria international has played just 168 minutes across four appearances this season, all of them in the cups, and is yet to feature in the Premier League under Enzo Maresca, with Josko Gvardiol and Nico O'Reilly ahead of him at left-back. His only start came in the 5-0 Carabao Cup win over Norwich City in September, and he has still managed three assists across that game and his two substitute appearances in the UEFA Champions League. As reported by The Athletic's Sam Lee , Ait-Nouri is expected to depart Manchester City in the winter window on the condition that a strong enough offer is put forward for the left-back. It has been added that the 25-year-old had wanted to leave the Etihad Stadium during the summer, but only made that decision a matter of weeks before the transfer window closed, which left little time for a move to materialise. Ait-Nouri's entourage told French newspaper L'Equipe last week that everything is being done to secure a move away this winter, with a source close to the player insisting that his talent should not continue to go to waste on the sidelines. Juventus are readying a prompt January loan approach for the defender, with the Italian club having identified a left-back as a priority and planning to offer an initial loan with an option to buy if Manchester City are willing to sanction a deal. Manchester United have also been studying a loan move for Ait-Nouri, with the Old Trafford club reportedly drawn to his attacking qualities and Premier League experience after he spent several seasons with Wolves before his switch to City. Sky Germany's Florian Plettenberg has also described the left-back as open to a January exit , with personal terms not expected to be an obstacle for United, although the relationship between the two Manchester clubs could complicate any deal. Maresca assessed Ait-Nouri's situation ahead of the Carabao Cup tie with Brighton and Hove Albion last month, describing him as a natural full-back and explaining that he is in direct competition with Gvardiol and O'Reilly for the position. Ait-Nouri suffered an ankle injury in September 2025 that cost him around 13 games for club and country, although he still started 20 of his 28 appearances across all competitions during his debut campaign at Manchester City under Pep Guardiola. The defender also left Algeria's camp early during a recent international window following an altercation that began with him on the bench, and he was again left out of his country's squad for the November break. O'Reilly was left out of England's November squad because of a back problem that Maresca says has troubled the 21-year-old since early September, and the academy graduate came on at half-time in Saturday's 3-1 defeat at Nottingham Forest.