Manchester City could be set to sign a left-back.
Manchester City are working to finalize a deal for Wolves defender Rayan Ait-Nouri, who would become the club’s first true left-back since Angelino — a player who joined in 2019 but left just six months later. What has long been a running joke among City fans now looks set to become reality this summer.
This marks a fresh approach, largely driven by Hugo Viana. As Txiki Begiristain’s replacement, Viana has stepped in, delivered some hard truths, and is actively addressing the issues that troubled the team last season.
Begiristain has managed similar transfer windows before. In 2017, he led one of Manchester City’s most successful transfer periods, revitalizing Pep Guardiola’s squad with a steady stream of new targets and daily transfer updates that sparked excitement.
Both Viana and Begiristain follow the vision set by chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak, who has stressed completing as much transfer business as possible before the Club World Cup in under two weeks. When he said no one at the club was taking holidays, it was unclear if he was making an observation or giving an order.
City’s current transfer activity shows an urgency unseen in years—not chaos, but a determined push to act quickly. The club pulled out of the Florian Wirtz deal, sticking to their usual strategy. However, unlike previous summers when they might have kept the existing squad, they are now moving swiftly to the next target. As the chairman said last week: “We have clearly identified exactly who the targets are, in what positions, and we have our clear number one option, our clear number two option. And we’ll go about our business, and it will be very clear, very swift.”
The rush to complete deals before the Club World Cup has changed City’s usual approach of patiently waiting for their preferred signings. Now, if conditions don’t meet their terms, they move quickly to other options.
This flexible mindset also applies to positions. The club prioritizes players in less urgent areas of the squad if a favorable deal is more achievable than one for a higher-need position. With uncertainty about who will remain in the squad, the club is actively pushing forward in the transfer market, preparing for moves that could trigger further changes.
Overall, City are set for more twists in the transfer window over the coming weeks as Begiristain and Viana pursue their goals. With the club determined to close the gap in both the Premier League and Champions League, keeping up with their transfer activity will prove more challenging than ever.
