Promising French left-back Rayan Ait-Nouri has been a sensational revelation for Wolves since he joined back in 2020. He is technically gifted, composed on the ball, and a solid defender, a combination that makes him the perfect modern-day fullback.
Ait-Nouri’s consistency for the Central-England outfit has piqued the interest of several giants, both in the Premier League and abroad. However, it seems Nouri’s interest lies with Liverpool.
The youngster candidly clicked photographs with the Reds fans after Wolves’ match against Liverpool. Wolves finished on the losing side in the last game of the season after a 28-minute red card to Nelson Semedo. But this did not wipe away the ever present smile off Ait Nouri’s face.
All the posts were flooded with questions regarding his destination in the transfer window and those who posted the photos were also not very coy about the possibility. However, none of these fans are credible sources of news on Nouri’s Premier League future. The images, however, have made their rounds on the internet, leading fans on.
Rayan Ait-Nouri v Andy Robertson
Ait-Nouri, if he joins Liverpool, will probably be Andy Robertson’s understudy. The 30-year-old Scot has been one of the shrewdest signings of the Premier League era. Moving to Liverpool from Hull City back in 2017, he partnered with Trent Alexander Arnold with devastating effects.
Liverpool has won the Champions League and the Premier League, and an FA Cup depending heavily on his a-wand-of-a-left -foot. The departure of Jurgen Klopp and the arrival of Arne Slot will mean that Robertson will have to impress the manager all over again.
This will give Ait-Nouri an opportunity to pip Robertson to the playing eleven. Slot plays a mix of Klop’s Gegenpress and Pep Guardiola‘s positional play that requires high energy. While Robertson has been exceptional for Liverpool going forward, he was found out in fast counterattacks. Ait-Nouri’s ability to take on players and his prowess in putting in a perfectly timed tackle makes him the perfect successor.
Ait Nouri’s skillset is tailor-made for the Mersey-side reds. He ranks in the 96th percentile for expected assists, slightly better than Robbo himself. But his average of 2.50 successful take-ons makes him a severely better choice than the Scot who averages one take-on every three games.
Although Robertson is better in every other attacking aspect, one can also attribute that to the different playing styles and quality of their respective squads. Ait-Nouri puts in close to three successful tackles per game, while Liverpool seldom depends on Robertson as their last line of defense. Their stat lines might look poles apart but they also show how the two bring something completely different to the table.
It seems the Frenchman is positive about his skillset. A fifty-million euro price tag might be a heavy burden on the young shoulders but Nouri has shown that he has a very mature head on his shoulders. Now, what remains to be seen, is whether Liverpool forks out the amount or they get a better bargain the way they did for Robertson all those trophies back.