Surplus Ait-Nouri in talks over rare City-to-United switch that would echo 2011 Hargreaves move

Rayan Ait-Nouri is heading for the Manchester City exit in January, with intermediaries already in discussions with several clubs — including city rivals Manchester United — over a transfer that would make the Algerian the first player to move directly between the two clubs since Owen Hargreaves in 2011.

The 25-year-old left-back joined City from Wolverhampton Wanderers in the summer of 2025 on a five-year deal, but has yet to feature in the Premier League under manager Enzo Maresca. His appearances this season have been restricted to the Carabao Cup and the Champions League group phase, where he played limited minutes in wins over Porto and AEK Athens and was an unused substitute in the defeat to Paris Saint-Germain.

According to TEAMtalk journalist Graeme Bailey, Maresca has delivered his verdict on Ait-Nouri to City sporting director Hugo Viana, who is now working on an exit plan ahead of the January window. “Ait-Nouri is set to leave Manchester City in January, with intermediaries already holding discussions with a host of clubs, including Manchester United,” Bailey reported.

United had already registered interest in the defender at the end of the summer window, and Bailey suggests those lines of communication have since been reopened. “We understand Ait-Nouri would be open to a switch across Manchester,” he added.

City are understood to be keen to resolve the situation before the window officially opens, with the club well-stocked across the squad and Ait-Nouri unable to force his way into Maresca’s plans. His only competitive minutes of note this season came in Carabao Cup ties against Norwich City and Brighton, the latter of which City won on penalties.

Should a deal be agreed, it would represent one of the more unusual transfers in recent Premier League history. Cross-city moves between United and City are exceptionally rare at the top level, with Hargreaves’s switch from the Etihad to Old Trafford more than a decade ago standing as the last direct example.