Rayan Ait-Nouri's Manchester City career has barely started, yet Juventus are already preparing a January rescue mission for the left-back.
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, the Serie A side have identified the 25-year-old as their primary target to solve a problem position that has haunted them since the summer window closed. The Bianconeri are ready to ask for him on loan with an option to buy — the same structure they attempted in late August, when they reached out to the player's representatives before the deal fell apart.
That approach failed to come together, but Juventus haven't moved on. If anything, their need has grown more acute.
Luciano Spalletti has seemingly lost all confidence in Juan Cabal, who Juventus couldn't offload in the summer. The Old Lady tried and failed to replace him then. They will try again in January, and Ait-Nouri sits at the top of their list. It's a situation that speaks to a broader malaise at the Allianz Stadium — Juventus have been leaning heavily on Zeki Celik and Pierre Kalulu in the early going, with both Andrea Cambiaso and Juan Cabal only just returning to fitness. The caliber of reinforcement they need, and the level they can realistically target, hinges on whether Cambiaso shows signs of life after a very long sticky patch.
For City, the calculus is rather different. Ait-Nouri arrived from Wolverhampton a year ago for €37m after showing well at Molineux, but he has been an afterthought since Enzo Maresca took charge. The defender has played only twice this season, starting just one Carabao Cup tie, and has never been deployed in the Premier League. His camp was already concerned about his prospective role in late August, and little has happened since to ease those worries.
A few injuries have contributed to his lack of minutes, it should be said. But when fit, he has still rarely been a regular. If the situation doesn't improve, a winter exit looks almost certain.
Juventus Casting a Wide Net
Ait-Nouri isn't Juventus's only option. The club is keeping tabs on David Raum for a possible Bosman addition, and Corriere dello Sport reports that Nicolas Tagliafico remains on the radar after he almost joined on deadline day. Tagliafico sits on a fallback list alongside his teammate Abner and Emerson Palmieri.
Whether Juventus get as far as a formal loan offer in January remains to be seen. But the groundwork is being laid, and Ait-Nouri's situation at City isn't improving. Two appearances by late September is a meagre return for a €37m signing. Something will have to give.