Coach Jurgen Klopp, despite declaring his departure from Liverpool at the conclusion of the season, has purportedly told the club to seek the acquisition of Wolverhampton Wanderers left-back Rayan Ait-Nouri next summer transfer window.
Per reports from TEAMtalk, Klopp perceives Ait-Nouri as a potentially significant asset to the Reds’ roster as they aim to rejuvenate their defensive options in the upcoming transfer window.
With Klopp recently overseeing the revamp of the club’s midfield through signings like Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Wataru Endo, and Ryan Gravenberch, attention has shifted to bolstering the defence.
Specifically, the left-hand side of the defence is targeted for reinforcement, particularly at center-back.
Given Virgil van Dijk’s aging and Joel Matip’s career potentially being halted by a knee injury, Liverpool urgently need to secure a center-back during in the next summer transfer window.
Thus, the unexpected link to Ait-Nouri adds an element of surprise to the club’s transfer plans. With Klopp set to depart, there will be a shift in dynamics at the club come summer.
Ait-Nouri has caught the eye at Wolves, operating as a wing-back in Gary O’Neil’s 3-4-3 setup this season – a formation reminiscent of Xabi Alonso’s tactics at Bayer Leverkusen.
Alonso, the frontrunner to succeed Klopp, favors a system that heavily relies on wing-backs like Jeremie Frimpong and Alex Grimaldo. Ait-Nouri seems a natural fit for this role compared to Liverpool’s current left-back options, Robertson and Tsimikas.
While Robertson boasts impressive attacking stats, at 30, discussions have surfaced about potentially deploying him as a left-sided center-back in a three-man defense.
Tsimikas, on the other hand, has shown promise as a backup but lacks Robertson’s attacking prowess.
However, any move for Ait-Nouri could be complicated by contractual obligations, including a reported 50% sell-on clause held by Angers, his former club.
Furthermore, amid Liverpool’s interest, Manchester United are reportedly keeping a close eye on the 22-year-old.
However, although Ait-Nouri seems content at Wolves, there are reports indicating that the Algeria international is still willing to consider the opportunity of moving to a larger club.
In other Liverpool news, Liverpool Reportedly Set Transfer Price for One of Their Key Stars as Reds Open to Let Player Leave This Summer