Manchester United’s late enquiry for Rayan Ait-Nouri may have come too late to lead to a deal, but it has raised an obvious question: why did they wait until deadline day?
United have reportedly made a tentative approach to Manchester City over the Algeria international, who only joined Pep Guardiola’s side from Wolves last summer. City are understood to have no intention of allowing the move to happen, while the timing leaves very little room for negotiations to develop, per Ben Jacobs.
That makes Ait-Nouri an unlikely deadline-day arrival at Old Trafford. It does not, however, make the interest itself difficult to understand.
In fact, if Manchester United genuinely see the 25-year-old as a solution to their left-back problem, they should have explored the possibility much earlier.
Man Utd Left-Back Problem is Hardly New
The need for another left-back has been evident throughout the summer.
Luke Shaw remains United's most established option on the left, but his injury record means relying on him for an entire season carries obvious risks. Patrick Dorgu provides another option, although his attacking qualities can make him a different proposition depending on how Michael Carrick wants his team to play.
United have spent much of the window looking at alternatives, with Lewis Hall among the names reportedly high on their list. Alejandro Balde and Jorge Salinas have also been discussed, while reports on deadline day suggested that several of those avenues were no longer viable.
That is what makes the Ait-Nouri enquiry so interesting.
Rather than being a player who needs time to adapt to English football, Ait-Nouri already has extensive Premier League experience. He spent five seasons at Wolves, making 135 league appearances, before joining Manchester City in 2025.
If United wanted an experienced, attack-minded left-back who could contribute immediately, Ait-Nouri was an obvious profile to consider.
Read More: Deadline Day: One Signing Each Premier League Must Make
Why Ait-Nouri Makes Sense
Ait-Nouri's appeal goes beyond simply being available, or potentially available, at City.
He is an aggressive ball carrier who is comfortable pushing into advanced areas and taking responsibility in possession. Those qualities were part of the reason City paid around £33.7 million to sign him from Wolves in 2025.
For United, that could provide another dimension on the left.
The club do not necessarily need another full-back whose primary job is to stay deep and protect the defence. They need players who can help them progress the ball and create overloads in the attacking half.
Ait-Nouri's Premier League experience would also make him a relatively low-risk proposition compared with recruiting a player from another league and asking him to adapt immediately.
There is, of course, no guarantee that he would become an undisputed starter at Old Trafford. But the profile makes sense for what United appear to have been looking for.
So why wait until deadline day?
This is where United's approach becomes difficult to understand.
Ait-Nouri has not exactly been a mystery target. He was a regular Premier League performer at Wolves before joining City, and his move to the Etihad was completed more than a year ago.
More importantly, United's need for left-back cover was already apparent before the final day of the window.
If the club had identified Ait-Nouri as a serious option, there was a strong argument for making contact weeks earlier. Even if City had immediately rejected the idea, United would at least have known where they stood.
Instead, the reported approach arrived with the deadline rapidly approaching and with little time left to turn an exploratory enquiry into a complicated deal between two of English football's biggest rivals. The Premier League's summer window closed on September 1 at 11pm BST, making the timing even more challenging.
There is also a footballing reason why City would be reluctant to entertain the proposal.
Ait-Nouri only arrived at the Etihad last summer and has already been part of City's first-team plans. Although his opportunities have been limited, Manchester City's official website noted in March that he had made 23 appearances in all competitions during his first season at the club.
Selling him directly to Manchester United, particularly at the last minute, would therefore have required City to make a significant decision with almost no time to find a replacement.
One to Revisit
The immediate move appears unlikely, but that does not mean United should forget about Ait-Nouri.
If his situation at Manchester City remains uncertain over the course of the season, the conversation could look very different in January or next summer.
For United, that could actually be the smarter route.
Rather than attempting to force through a complicated deal in the final hours of a transfer window, they could spend the next few months assessing their own left-back situation while monitoring Ait-Nouri's role at City.
If he continues to struggle for regular minutes, the opportunity could present itself again.
And unlike deadline day, United would have time to negotiate.
United Found Right Player at the Wrong Time
There is a certain irony to United turning to Ait-Nouri only after several other options appear to have become unavailable.
The club have spent much of the window addressing other areas of the squad, while the left-back position has remained an unresolved issue. Their late approach for a player who fits the profile suggests they may finally have identified an option they like, but only when the opportunity to actually sign him was disappearing.
That is the frustrating part.
Ait-Nouri may not be the only solution to United's left-back problem, and there is no guarantee that a deal would have been possible even if they had approached City earlier.
But if Manchester United genuinely believe he is the type of player they need, this should not be the end of the story.
The deadline-day enquiry may have come too late.
Ait-Nouri could still be worth revisiting when the window opens again in January 2027.
