Wolves can forget Ait-Nouri by signing "the best full-back in the EFL"
da brwin： Wolverhampton Wanderers have avoided relegation back down to the Championship and will be competing in the Premier League once again next season.
da apostebet： Vitor Pereira has left the club to safety and will now have the chance to bring his own players to Molineux in his first summer transfer window with the Old Gold.
The Portuguese head coach, however, may also have to contend with some of his star players moving on from the club, including Rayan Ait-Nouri.
Why Rayan Ait-Nouri could leave Wolves
The Telegraph recently reported that Wolves want to offer the defender a new deal, but that there is still doubt over his future at the club due to interest from elsewhere.
It was revealed that Manchester City and Liverpool have both sent scouts to watch the Algeria international, who is valued at £50m by Wolves, in action this season.
Ait-Nouri, who produced three goals and two assists in all competitions last season, has improved his output at the top end of the pitch, with a return of five goals and seven assists for the Old Gold this term.
His form has attracted interest from two of the best teams in the Premier League, which is why he could be on his way out of the club in the summer if significant bids come in for him.
Journalist Graeme Bailey recently revealed that Wolves are keeping tabs on Sunderland defender Dennis Cirkin, and a move for the Englishman could allow the club to forget all about Ait-Nouri.
Why Wolves should sign Dennis Cirkin
Wolves should swoop to sign the Black Cats star in the summer transfer window because it would ease the blow of losing the Algerian left-back to Liverpool or Manchester City.
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Cirkin, who was hailed as “eye-catching” by pundit Sam Parkin, was described as “the best full-back in the Championship” by journalist Josh Bunting, which speaks to how impressive the full-back has been in the second tier.
The 23-year-old ace, who has helped his side to keep 11 clean sheets in 30 starts, is an excellent defender who could offer more solidity down the left flank than Ait-Nouri currently does for Pereira.
24/25 season
Ait-Nouri (Premier League)
Cirkin (Championship)
Appearances
34
36
Tackles per game
2.4
2.5
Interceptions per game
0.7
1.2
Clearances per game
1.7
2.6
Ground duel success rate
55%
55%
Aerial duel success rate
42%
44%
Red cards
1
0
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, the Sunderland dynamo has the potential to offer more to the team from a defensive perspective because he makes tackles, interceptions, and clearances more frequently, while also winning a higher percentage of his aerial contests.
Cirkin can also maraud forward to make an impact at the top end of the pitch, having scored three goals and provided two assists in the Championship this term, which means that he could still offer a threat going forward as well.
Of course, the caveat is that the former Spurs youngster is currently playing in the second tier and is an unproven quantity in the Premier League, but he is a young player with time left ahead of him to develop and improve and has shown plenty of promising signs in a Sunderland shirt.
Related The new Gibbs-White: Wolves planning move for £50m Premier League talent
Wolverhampton Wanderers might be about to land their next Morgan Gibbs-White if this deal is successful.
Therefore, Wolves could forget all about Ait-Nouri, and sanction a sale for the defender, if they can strike an agreement with the Black Cats to bring the impressive Cirkin to the Molineux this summer.