Rayan Ait-Nouri explains key to Man City move and excitement over Wolves reunion
Rayan Ait-Nouri swapped Wolves for Manchester City in a £36million transfer after speaking to the club's former winger Riyad Mahrez about what to expect under Pep Guardiola's management
Rayan Ait-Nouri has revealed former Manchester City star Riyad Mahrez helped convince him to join Pep Guardiola's side. Ait-Nouri, 24, signed for City from Wolves in a deal worth up to £36million, his arrival solving a long-standing problem at left-back for the recently-deposed champions.
Mahrez spent five years at City, winning four Premier League titles, two FA Cups and the Champions League, before leaving to join Saudi side Al-Ahli in 2023. Ait-Nouri and Mahrez are international team-mates for Algeria and City's newest recruit revealed the role his international captain Mahrez played in helping him make the move.
'I speak with Riyad,' said Ait-Nouri. 'I'm with him in the national team. He told me about the city of Manchester and he told me to give everything for this club.
'It's the biggest club in the world and I will try to follow him. In the beginning it was my choice to come to Manchester City, because I told my family 'I want to play for this team'. I like how they develop the team, how they play, and I'm very happy to be here, it's a pleasure for me.
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'It will be crazy because we know this squad is top, top level. Every player I played against previously at City, when I played against them it was always very hard, because we know the quality of the players is incredible. For sure, I want to learn with them in the training and in the games.'
Ait-Nouri has linked up with former Wolves team-mate Matheus Nunes, who made the same move from Molineux to the Etihad Stadium two years ago. The pair were close friends at Wolves and Ait-Nouri said he is looking forward to lining up alongside the versatile Portugal international once again.
'I've spoken with him,' said Ait-Nouri. 'We were always together when we were at Wolves. I spoke a little bit with him and he told me about the city. We didn't speak about football, we spoke about the city and life in Manchester, and I'm very excited to join up with Matheus again.'
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Ait-Nouri is convinced he can take his game to another level under the guidance of Guardiola and by playing in a team full of world-class talents.
"I'm young, I can improve a lot," said Ait-Nouri. "I need to learn, to improve my football, for sure. It's for this reason I chose this big challenge, because I know I can improve my football. With this team and this manager, I will improve, for sure."
Asked what he hoped to achieve at City, Ait-Nouri said: "To win a lot of trophies and to give everything for the team, for the badge, to play with my team-mates and be happy with the coach and the staff."
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