Don’t be too shocked, Manchester City fans, but your club is after yet another young French talent to bolster their academy.
The kid (he’s only 16) in question is Angers’ Rayan Ait Nouri, who has yet to play a game for the Ligue 1 side’s first-team, yet clubs are already willing to dedicate around €10m towards his services.
This is what Le Courrier de l’Ouest are reporting on Wednesday, with AS Monaco described as the most ‘persistent’ in their hunt for the full-back.
However, Manchester City are well and truly in the mix, as are Atlético Madrid, described as the other two sides showing extensive interest in the youngster.
His performances with the reserves were watched by many scouts, and his reputation as one of the more promising young defenders in Europe is even said to have reached the ears of Jorge Mendes.
From what Le Courrier de l’Ouest are saying, it appears Angers have half-given up on the idea of keeping Ait Nouri beyond this season, at least permanently, with the idea being “sell, but get him back on loan next year”.
Negotiations with clubs such as Manchester City are said to be ‘inevitable’ in the summer, and there’s a good chance the Ligue 1 side won’t be able to resist the amounts discussed, especially for such a young player.
If it solely comes down to money between those three sides, we all know who holds the advantage…
