West Ham’s interest in Max Kilman has dominated the headlines but another Wolves player could be on his way out of the club.
Wolves have made an uncharacteristically fast start to a transfer window, sealing three new incomings as Tommy Doyle, Rodrigo Gomes and Pedro Lima have all joined permanently.
Gary O’Neil wants to progress from a 14th-place finish last season by stamping his authority on the squad, and it appears he’s made a successful start.
For all of the positivity surrounding their transfer business, there will be some departures out of Molineux to balance the books. This is a summer where Pedro Neto is expected to leave while Matheus Cunha is attracting interest from Arsenal and a £30 million bid for captain Max Kilman has been swatted away.
The Old Gold value Kilman at £45 million and O’Neil has previously outlined his intentions to keep him, although he isn’t the only player attracting strong interest.
The latest on Rayan Ait-Nouri’s Wolves future
According to French outlet La Gazette du Fennec, Wolves wing-back Rayan Ait-Nouri is still on the radar of multiple top Premier League clubs, including Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea.
The report claims Ait-Nouri is ‘expected’ to leave Molineux, although this interest isn’t alien to anyone, with it claimed previously that the Algerian international could attract more admirers than Neto this summer following his fantastic campaign.
Ait-Nouri was a shadow of his former self under Julen Lopetegui but the arrival of O’Neil was the catalyst for him to become one of the division’s best wing backs, while even impressing in a forward role.
The 23-year-old made 38 appearances across all competitions, showcasing his attacking talent by ranking in the top 2% of wing-backs across Europe for successful take-ons and the top 4% for non-penalty xG.
What is Rayan Ait-Nouri worth to Wolves?
Previously dubbed “phenomenal” by journalist Tim Spiers, Ait-Nouri’s value is inflated due to his importance to O’Neil.
He offers the Wolves boss unrivalled versatility having operated as a left wing-back, a winger and as an attacking midfielder during his time at the helm.
That, alongside his incredible talent, suggests O’Neil doesn’t want to lose the Algerian this summer and instead wants to build around him.
Whilst that may be the case and Ait-Nouri has even said he’s ‘very happy’ at Molineux, every player has a price and if a fair offer is presented to the board – perhaps upwards of £60 million – they may be tempted to cash in.
Signed for £9.5 million in 2021, Wolves look set to make a huge profit on the £10k-a-week phenomenon, whether he departs this summer or commits his future to the club for one more campaign.