Wolverhampton Wanderers have not only lost Matheus Cunha to Manchester United this summer, but they look set to sell Rayan Ait-Nouri.
Manchester City are reportedly closing in on sealing a deal worth around £36.3m for the left-back and this will leave a gaping hole in the Wolves’ defence.
Vitor Pereira will have money to spend, that’s for certain. The onus now is for him to bring in a suitable replacement for the Algerian star.
Wolves looking to sign Ait-Nouri replacement
With another season in the Premier League to look forward to, it won’t be hard to find a player who can step up to the mark and succeed in England.
Recent reports suggest the club are turning towards Barcelona for a player who could replace Ait-Nouri. How much will he cost, however?
It was reported last week that the Old Gold were showing plenty of interest in Barcelona defender Gerard Martin.
Now, a new report from Spain has emerged, stating just how much the Catalan side are willing to sell their left-back for this summer.
Barcelona are open to selling Martin for a fee in the region of €12m (£10m), which is certainly a bargain deal for the Molineux outfit. The report further states that Wolves are set to make the player an offer that will significantly improve his salary.
Having come through the club’s famed La Masia academy, Hansi Flick will make a profit on the defender, and given Barcelona’s still precarious financial situation, it is a deal they are willing to consider.
With money not an issue in this regard, Pereira will be hoping to secure his signature as soon as possible.
Why Wolves must sign Gerard Martin to replace Ait-Nouri
Ait-Nouri ended his most productive season at Wolves since joining in 2020. Across 41 matches in all competitions, he scored five goals and grabbed seven assists.
He also created eight big chances, averaged 1.3 key passes and succeeded with 1.7 dribbles in the top flight for the Old Gold, signifying his attacking presence.
| Rayan Ait-Nouri’s Wolves statistics | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Games | Goals | Assists |
| 2024/25 | 41 | 5 | 7 |
| 2023/24 | 38 | 3 | 4 |
| 2022/23 | 27 | 2 | 1 |
| 2021/22 | 27 | 1 | 6 |
| 2020/21 | 27 | 1 | 2 |
| Via Transfermarkt | |||
This will be missed, of course, but Martin looks like a ready-made replacement ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.
Indeed, he might have only started 11 of his 28 La Liga appearances, but the 23-year-old still managed to score once and provide three assists domestically.
Arguably, his finest performance came against Inter Milan in the Champions League semi-final second leg last month.
Although Barcelona lost the tie, Martin provided two assists during the game, as well as delivering nine crosses, winning seven duels and creating two big chances for the club. Essentially, it was a very Ait-Nouri-esque display.
This impact on the biggest stage of all should convince Pereira that Martin is the correct replacement for the departing Algerian, no doubt about that.
Football writer Zach Lowy recently stated that while Martin was still “quite raw”, he “has tremendous upside and character” and Wolves could be an ideal place for him to become a starting left-back.
For a fee of just £10m, it is unlikely the club will do much better throughout the transfer window.
