This “hard-working” ace could become a key player for Wolves once more if Rayan Ait Nouri leaves.
Monday was an unforgettable night for Wolverhampton Wanderers but for all the wrong reasons as Gary O’Neil’s side succumbed to a late penalty to lose 3-2 away at Craven Cottage.
The Midlands club conceded two questionable spot-kicks in the second half which head coach O’Neil labelled as “mind-boggling” in his post-match press conference, admitting he has “turned against VAR”.
The injury to Rayan Ait Nouri, a crucial player for Molineux this season, will, however, be one of the manager’s biggest worries. Rayan Ait Nouri hobbled off early in the first half with what appeared to be an ankle sprain.
The Algerian defender’s return date is still unknown as he is still undergoing evaluation, but new reports suggest Wolves may lose the 22-year-old outright in January, which would put O’Neil in a difficult scenario at wingback.
Rayan Ait Nouri transfer links
Ait Nouri arrived at Molineux in 2020, originally on loan from French team Angers. He later signed a permanent deal with The Wanderers for £10 million and served as a squad member for his first three seasons.
The Algerian international, who has started 92% of Wolves’ Premier League games this season, has, nevertheless, come into his own under O’Neil and is now among the first names on the team sheet.
Ait Nouri, however, is reportedly the top target for Ligue 1 winners Paris Saint-Germain ahead of the January transfer window. Nuno Mendes is presently out for another two months after undergoing surgery to address a hamstring injury he sustained at the end of September. This information comes from Sports Zone.
The wingback is Wolves’ most valuable player; according to Transfermarkt, his market value increased to £21.6 million as recently as October. This means the club could recoup more than twice the amount they spent for him when they acquired him 2.5 years ago.
In the second half of the season, O’Neil might have to turn to an old flame if Wolves lose one of their best defenders.
Potential replacements for Ait Nouri at Wolves
Jonny Otto, who joined Wolves midway through the 2018–19 season for £18 million from Atletico Madrid, is one of the few players still at the team who played in the team’s inaugural season back in the top flight.
For the most of his career at the club, the Spaniard has been an important member of the Midlands team, appearing in both back five and back four configurations on the left and right of the pitch.
The 29-year-old’s future at Molineux is now in doubt as he has only made three appearances in all competitions this season, totaling only four minutes of Premier League play. O’Neil acknowledged that Jonny is a “hard-working professional” despite his little playing time, acknowledging that the Spanish defender puts in a lot of training time.
Nevertheless, during his six seasons with the team, Jonny’s playing time has drastically decreased, especially this season.
Due to two different ACL tears, the Spain international didn’t play much in the 2020–21 and 2020–22 seasons, although he was still a vital member of the team both before and after his absence.
It didn’t work out as well as O’Neil had intended when he decided to start Matt Doherty off the bench on Monday night in response to Ait Nouri’s early injury. In his 71 minutes on the pitch, Doherty gave up possession 13 times, made just one tackle and failed to cross the ball into the box as Wolves struggled to generate chances and ultimately let up a late penalty to lose three points.
At just 29, Jonny still has a lot of energy left and, should Ait Nouri depart in January, he might provide considerably more solidity on the flanks in place of Doherty.
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