Rayan Aït-Nouri has not kicked a ball in the Premier League this season. Juventus have noticed.
That is the nub of it. The 25-year-old Algeria international, signed from Wolves, is entering his prime and currently spending it in a tracksuit. Four bench appearances, one squad omission, and not a single minute of league football since the campaign began. For a player at his stage of development, that is a problem. For a club with a perfect Premier League start and a defensive record that still looks shaky, it is a question worth asking.
Juventus, according to Gazzetta dello Sport, have picked up the phone again. They first sniffed around late in the summer window, when Aït-Nouri was already uneasy about his lack of involvement and open to the idea of moving. Nothing came of it then. Now the Italian club have renewed their interest, with the left side of their defence in need of reinforcements.
The numbers tell their own story. Aït-Nouri's only Champions League outing came against Porto, where he played 16 minutes and registered an assist. His sole full game was the Carabao Cup tie with Norwich, where he provided two assists. That is a decent return for a player who has barely been seen. Enzo Maresca, for now, prefers other options. Josko Gvardiol has been used regularly at left-back, and the recent 5-3 win over Sunderland did little to suggest the back line is settled.
Juventus are believed to favour a straight loan, potentially with an option to buy. They also have David Raum of RB Leipzig on their radar as an alternative, a Germany international approaching the end of his contract in 2027. So Aït-Nouri is not their only target, but he appears to be a live one.
What happens next depends on minutes. If Aït-Nouri earns more Premier League football after the international break, the picture could shift quickly. If he does not, Juventus may offer him the chance to become a regular starter again. For now, this looks less like City actively pushing him out and more like Juventus positioning themselves in case his frustration grows. Letting him leave would reduce defensive depth at a time when the back line has already looked vulnerable. It is a situation worth monitoring, not least because Aït-Nouri himself has already shown he was open to the idea once.