Rayan Ait Nuri: Wolves full-back skills are excellent, very suitable for Guardiola s game

It is no surprise that Manchester City is interested in Wolves fullback Rayan Ait Nuri. With his silky touch and ability to catch the ball in a tight space, he passed the vision test of Guardiola players and took a step forward this season.

Eat Nuri has made progress even during the embarrassing year of Wolves. Starting 37 of their 38 Premier League games proved his solidity, with four goals and six assists, the Algerian international added the final result to his game.

Rumored to connect Rayan Ait Nuri to Manchester City to see the Algerian fullback’s nine Premier League goals so far. His talent has long been obvious since he first came to the Premier League from French club Angers in the summer of 2020. Ait Nuri always attracts attention because he particularly likes to step and retreat, and he is always keen on feeling the ball under his feet.

This is a feature, even though a recent attempt at Manchester City almost resulted in a red card, and a failed retracement left him losing the ball for Brentford's goal on the last day. But these are outliers. Ait Nouri succeeded in the Premier League and ranked eighth in the eighth place.

63 such substitutions are unusual for a player who ostensibly serves as part of the five-back for most of the season. But the positioning problem of Ait Nuri has never been an easy thing, as Wolves’ former assistant coach Edu Rubio explained.

"When we were there, people kind of criticized us because they thought we didn't let him play often, so they thought we didn't like him as a player," Rubio told Sky Sports, referring to his six months as an assistant to Juren Lopetegui with Wolves. "That's not true. We wanted him to play because we always thought he was a very good player. But the problem was that transitional moment. He needed to know when to defend, when to attack. He needed to learn the skills of a full-back.

"He wasn't a real winger at that time. But he is not a full-back, nor is he a full-back. He is a player trying to find his best position and his own understanding of the game. He did a very good job in this. It's a balanced assessment of a player who can perform well but is still prone to mistakes. In August, Chelsea's Maduec scored a hat-trick in a 6-2 away win over Molinu Stadium. "We don't have a left back," then-head coach Gary O'Neal said after the game.

Since then, under Vito Pereira, Ait Nuri has been transferred to the full-back position, and he has done better offense and defense. He ranks in the top ten steals. "He can defend," Rubio said. “I think he’s very good at one-on-one defense.” Ait Nuri has proven over the past seasons that he can do it on both ends of the court. He is the only player in the Premier League to rank in the top 25 of the top 25 in defensive and offensive zones.

Of course, people expect that after transfer to Manchester City, Ait Nouri will have more touches on the ball, and the number of defensive moves he needs will be reduced. Ait Nuri is not just a defender, it is part of the appeal.

Positionally speaking, the role of Manchester City's fullback actually requires more work than the Wolves fullback in the opponent's half. “His technical skills make him an interesting player on the team and love being a major player in possession,” Rubio said. "In a backcourt-based team, everything revolves around ball-handling football, and your fullback is also asked to reverse, and because of his technical ability, he can definitely handle anything inside." He can definitely play that role.

"Something to be learned. What he needs to develop is his awareness, his position and his understanding, as Manchester City plays equally focus on position and ball possession. It is very important to maintain their structure and status. But it is crucial that Ait Nuri has proven that "he can swap positions", and it is this quality that separates him from some other acclaimed offensive left-backs, such as Anthony Robinson of Fulham and Mid of Bournemouth Los Corkez.

They are more straight players compared to Ait Nuri. Guardiola may be attracted to this player, who can move to the inside to support the team's offense like Manchester City's Olek Sandel Zinchenko and Fabian Delf did in the left-back position.

On the other hand, Ait Nuri is not as explosive as Robinson or Milosh Kolkz. The two players each Both players covered a lot more sprints in 90 minutes than he did. Both players covered a lot more fields at high intensity. It was a different profile.

"He was a different type of player," Rubio admitted. Although he warned that there might be more things to do with the 23-year-old—the fact that Ait Nuri had a top sprint speed actually higher than Milos Kolkz proved. Maybe he could do it.

"We don't know yet. Maybe he didn't get exposed to this in the role of Wolves. Maybe the coach didn't ask him to do so. Maybe he needs more specific training in terms of his body. I believe he can handle it. "I think he has everything to develop that side, all the elements, all the physique, so I don't worry too much. Sometimes the players we see reflect the way the team plays. Then they go to different clubs and people don't expect it to come.

Whatever the truth, Et Nuri has proved that he doesn't need lightning speed to outdo his opponents, and that there is less room for running for Manchester City players. People who can make openings when space is more limited may be more useful for them..

"I think his technical ability, his ability and skills in small areas, his ability to dribble, his ability to make the team ahead in the third quarter by dribbling, all of which make him a very interesting player at Manchester City." "Manchester City may need some of these players now that can break through the defense more and can lead the team in the third division in different ways, not just through combination tactics, but also through their clever dribbling and speed."

"The team is arranged so that it's harder to break through them now by just possessing the ball. They are more resilient. The defenders are athletes and their skills are good. This evolution already exists, and I believe that Manchester City will have to recruit players who can do both at the same time. "Pull control is the game Guardiola wants to play, and it's very technically, and that's right." But they have to have legs to cover the ground so they can handle the ball transfers facing teams that can maintain intense play.

In any case, Rubio expects Manchester City to win the trophy again next season. But the acquisition of Guardiola player Ait Nouri, who is waiting, will only make this more likely. "I'm sure he would do a great job if he went there."