Maresca sees Ait-Nouri as a winger, not a left-back, after Man United deadline-day approach

Rayan Ait-Nouri is being repositioned as a winger at Manchester City this season, with manager Enzo Maresca confirming the Algeria international is not in his plans at left-back — a situation that pushed the defender to consider a deadline-day move to rivals Manchester United.

Ait-Nouri struggled for minutes after joining from Wolves last season and had hoped for a fresh start under Maresca. Instead, Gvardiol, Nico O’Reilly, Abdukodir Khusanov and academy product Kaden Braithwaite have all been used ahead of him at left-back. The situation grew serious enough that Ait-Nouri weighed up a switch to United before the transfer window closed.

His first minutes of the season came as a substitute in City’s Champions League trip to Porto, but tellingly he was deployed in midfield in front of Khusanov rather than at left-back. The cameo was productive — he set up Erling Haaland for City’s second goal — yet it underlined exactly how Maresca views him.

“Technically he is very good. One v one he is good. In terms of passes, the other day he made a good assist for Erling,” Maresca said. “When he was at Wolves it was a back five, so more of a wing back. I see him more as a winger than a full back — but it doesn’t mean in the future that if we need him as a full back we are not going to use him.”

Gvardiol has started all four matches at left-back so far, and while O’Reilly has featured in midfield, Maresca also regards him primarily as a defender. Braithwaite, a centre-back capable of operating on the left, is one of three academy players promoted to the first team this summer alongside Ryan McAidoo and Floyd Samba.

For Ait-Nouri, the path to regular football at the Etihad now runs through a wide attacking role rather than the defensive position he has occupied for most of his career — a significant adjustment for a player who arrived hoping to nail down a starting berth.