Manchester City’s summer transfer window has already made a significant impact, with their latest signing Rayan Ait-Nouri quickly settling in and making waves at the FIFA Club World Cup. The 24-year-old defender joined the Premier League champions from Wolves for £31 million during the opening week of the transfer window, and his debut performance in the 6-0 thrashing of Al Ain left fans and pundits impressed.
Ait-Nouri’s arrival addresses a long-standing vulnerability for Manchester City at left-back—a position that has been a source of defensive frailty throughout Pep Guardiola’s tenure. The French international showcased his quality right from the start, contributing to a dominant display that boosted the Blues’ confidence in their quest for more silverware this season.
Speaking to Mirror Sport, Ait-Nouri expressed his enthusiasm about joining such a star-studded squad and playing alongside prolific striker Erling Haaland. “It’s very good for me. We know Erling (Haaland) is a great player, he makes a lot of things for the football,” he said. “For sure, it’s good to play with him (Haaland) and to play also with the other players. It (Manchester City) is the best team in the world on its good game.”
Haaland, who has been a goal-scoring machine since his Premier League debut in 2022, has already developed a rapport with the new defender. Their partnership promises to strengthen City’s attacking and defensive balance as they prepare for the upcoming season. “We were very excited to play together. They also made a very good first game. We play our game, you know. We try to score a lot of goals. We try to defend also together. We scored six goals, it’s good also for the confidence. Hopefully we’ll continue like this,” Ait-Nouri added.
Guardiola’s approach to the Club World Cup has been experimental, as evidenced by the 11 changes made to the lineup in the match against Al Ain. This rotation policy aims to test squad depth and keep players fresh ahead of crucial fixtures. For their next group-stage match against Juventus on Thursday, June 26, 2025, the team will face a stern test. Juventus, who defeated Manchester City 2-0 in last season’s UEFA Champions League group stage, will be eager to assert their dominance once more.
Manchester City’s defensive options for the Juventus game include Nico O’Reilly and Josko Gvardiol at left-back, especially with Rico Lewis suspended. However, Ait-Nouri’s solid debut performance puts him in a strong position to claim the starting role and solidify his place in Guardiola’s plans.
Meanwhile, Wolves are navigating a significant transition period after losing two key players this summer. Manager Vitor Pereira, who took charge midway through last season and steered the team away from relegation to finish 16th in the Premier League, has been candid about the challenges ahead.
Wolves have parted ways with their talismanic striker Matheus Cunha, who scored 18 goals in 40 appearances last season, moving to Manchester United. Alongside Cunha, Rayan Ait-Nouri’s departure to Manchester City leaves a notable gap in the squad. Pereira emphasized the importance of fostering competition across all positions to build a resilient team. “I want competition in every position because this is very important, to have the competition inside. If you have the competition inside you will be stronger when you face the other teams,” he explained.
He also highlighted the unpredictable nature of the transfer market. “The opportunities in the market is something nobody can control. We can lose a player that, at this moment in my mind, is a player to stay and help the team. I cannot control these kinds of things, but I must have a plan to build the squad.”
Wolves are actively restructuring their football operations, appointing Domenico Teti as the new director of professional football after Matt Hobbs’ departure earlier this month. Pereira and Teti have a working history from their time together at Saudi Arabian club Al Shabab in 2024, which bodes well for Wolves’ strategic recruitment going forward.
So far, Wolves have made one signing this summer: Fer Lopez from Celta Vigo. Pereira is determined to build a squad with depth and internal competition to avoid the struggles of previous seasons. “We need to compete and feel that if you're not at your best level, you will lose your position. This is what I want to build for next season, but I really don't know the players that will leave, the players that will stay and the players that need to come,” he said.
The contrasting fortunes of Manchester City and Wolves this summer underline the ever-changing dynamics of Premier League football. City continue to bolster an already star-studded lineup, aiming to maintain their dominance domestically and in Europe, while Wolves face the challenge of rebuilding and reinvigorating their squad to climb the table.
As Manchester City prepare to face Juventus in the Club World Cup, all eyes will be on Ait-Nouri to see if he can maintain the promising form he showed on debut. Meanwhile, Wolves’ summer rebuild is just beginning, with Pereira and Teti tasked with assembling a squad capable of competing at the highest level and avoiding last season’s relegation scare.
Both clubs are at pivotal points in their journeys, with Manchester City looking to extend their era of success and Wolves striving to establish stability and growth. The coming weeks will reveal how these summer moves shape their fortunes in the 2025-26 season.
