Desperate Man Utd want forgotten Man City star on loan in January
Manchester United are keen to sign a new left-back in January, so they have reportedly set their sights on Rayan Ait-Nouri.
The Red Devils were supposed to address this role in the summer, but Jason Wilcox and Co. fell short in their pursuit of Lewis Hall, who has since renewed his contract with Newcastle United.
The management eventually kept the backline intact and was swiftly made to pay for this decision, with Luke Shaw struggling with injuries since the start of the season.
Man Utd consider signing Rayan Ait-Nouri on loan in January
In Shaw’s absence, Michael Carrick has been forced to resort to all sorts of options. Patrick Dorgu, whom the manager considers a left winger, was deployed at the back, but he suffered a hamstring injury while on international duty, thus compounding Man Utd’s woes.
Noussair Mazraoui, Diogo Dalot, and Ayden Heaven have been shifted to the left side in recent weeks as emergency solutions, highlighting the dire need for a new Shaw understudy.
According to Africa Foot, United remain interested in Ait-Nouri, who is struggling for relevance on the other side of the city.
The source claims MUFC could be interested in signing the 25-year-old on loan in January, considering him a stop-gap solution, but it remains unclear whether Man City would be willing to lend a hand to their crosstown rivals.
Why Man City might consider loaning out Ait-Nouri
The Algerian internaitonal was one of the most exciting up-and-coming full-backs in the Premier League during his five-year spell at Wolves.
In the summer of 2025, he made a £30 million move to Man City, only to find himself a backup option at Pep Guardiola’s court.
| Ait-Nouri’s Stats in 26/27 | Appearances | Minutes | Goals | Assists |
| Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Champions League | 2 | 33′ | 0 | 1 |
| Community Shield | 0 | o | 0 | 0 |
| Carabao Cup | 1 | 90′ | 0 | 2 |
| Total | 3 | 123′ | 0 | 3 |
The player’s situation hardly improved under Enzo Maresca, as he’s currently considered third choice behind Josko Gvardiol and Nico O’Reily at left-back.
At this stage, it would be fair to say every MCFC player’s future is shrouded in mystery amidst the club’s immense legal troubles. But Ait-Nouri in particular appears to be heading out the door amid the lack of playing time, so a January loan move could at least help the Cityzens protect his market value.
