Rayan Aït-Nouri appeared more likely to join Liverpool than Manchester City, at least according to his former teammate Abdoulaye Bamba.
Africa Foot cover comments from the 35-year-old today on the new Manchester City signing, and how he felt he would be joining Liverpool when he left Wolves.
Bamba played alongside Aït-Nouri at former club Angers before the defender moved to Wolves in an €11.1m deal in July 2021.
He’s since established himself as a key player at Molineux, with 19 assists and 12 goals in 157 appearances for the club before his €36.8m move to Manchester City this week.
The defender is the latest arrival in what has already been a busy summer for Pep Guardiola’s side, but Bamba admits he believed Aït-Nouri would be going to Liverpool and not the Etihad.
“I remember him often talking about Real Madrid, which he considered the pinnacle,” he said.
“Personally, I imagined him more at Liverpool, but Manchester City remains an exceptional destination for him to continue his development. Guardiola didn’t discover him this season; he’s probably been following him for a while.
“Rayan will learn a lot from him. If he wanted to recruit him, it’s because he truly believes in his potential.”
Aït-Nouri has certainly enjoyed a rapid rise over the last few years, despite Wolves struggles in general.
He certainly impressed under Vitor Pereira after his arrival midway through this season, establishing himself as one of the club’s key players again under the Portuguese manager.
It is perhaps those performances which have led to his move to Manchester City, but Bamba believes the decision to join Wolves in 2021 should be praised regardless.
“It was a smart choice at the time. He still lacked experience, but joining the Premier League from Angers was a wise move,” he added.
“We often see young players leave too early for big clubs and disappear off the radar. At Wolverhampton, he had time to develop, discover the demands of the English league, and establish himself as a regular.
“Today, he’s one of the best full backs in England. Pep Guardiola’s decision to make him one of his priorities is no coincidence.”
