Chelsea are preparing for a changing of the guard at left-back next season, with Ian Maatsen and Marc Cucurella both expecting to head out of the door – or possibly be pushed, in the Spaniard’s case – and their shortlist has a rather surprising name on it, according to 90min. Wolverhampton Wanderer’s Rayan Aït-Nouri could well be on his way to Stamford Bridge.
The £10m Algerian defender was close to leaving the club this summer and nearly joined French outfit OGC Nice, but that fell through and he has enjoyed something of a resurgence under Gary O’Neil. He isn’t the only player in the running, though – young Argentinian prospect Valentín Barco is also a possibility, as is Bayern Munich’s Alphonso Davies.
The latter looks ambitious, with Real Madrid believed to be a very likely destination for the Canadian next summer, but either of the other two would be very interesting signings for Maurico Pochettino.
SportSynergy Verdict: Aït-Nouri may not be the first name that leaps to mind when you think about the Premier League’s best left-backs, but he’s been in fine form and is statistically excellent both as a defender and a final third – but Barco is one of the most-hyped defensive talents in South America, and Davies, if a deal could be made, is simply world-class. Aït-Nouri seems a little bit more realistic, though…
