Arsenal can complete their defence by signing Rayan Ait-Nouri
Arsenal can complete their defence by signing Wolverhampton Wanderers left-back Rayan Ait-Nouri ahead of Manchester City this summer.
The Gunners have had another wonderful Premier League season under manager Mikel Arteta and they are currently top with 74 points from 33 games.
Pep Guardiola’s side still have the advantage as they are only one point behind with a game in hand. It promises to be a thrilling end to the campaign.
Regardless of how the season concludes, the Gunners could be busy during the summer transfer window and a new left-back could be one of the top priorities.
Arteta has utilised Oleksandr Zinchenko, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Jakub Kiwior in the role over recent months, but none have provided the right balance.
Jurrien Timber was tried in the position during the curtain-raiser, but the Dutchman lasted for just 50 minutes before picking up a serious knee ligament injury.
The former Ajax star is on course for a full recovery ahead of next season, but we won’t be surprised if the hierarchy invest on a specialist left-back this summer.
In our opinion, Ait-Nouri could be the perfect solution amid his impressive progress at Wolves.
The Algerian ace has developed into a key player for the Midlands outfit and he has grown accustomed to playing in an inverted left-back role under Gary O’Neil.
The 22-year-old has had a passing accuracy of 87 per cent but he has also caught the eye with his dribbling, recoveries and the ability to win duels and tackles.
Ait-Nouri has completed two take-ons per league appearance this term. He has won an impressive 6.2 duels and two tackles on average with 4.4 ball recoveries.
His instinct to attack and make overlapping runs would suit the Gunners’ playing style. We believe he would provide the right balance on both ends of the pitch.
Mirror claim that both Manchester City and Arsenal are interested in the former Angers graduate, who could be prised away for a fee of around £50 million.
Arsenal should be fairly optimistic of beating the Cityzens to Ait-Nouri’s signature with regular playing time which may not be an assurance under Guardiola.
The Gunners currently have Ben White, William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes as undisputed starters and can complete their defence with the acquisition of Ait-Nouri.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com & Sofascore.com
