Juventus join race for Wolverhampton Wanderers defender Rayan Ait-Nouri?

Juventus join race for Wolves defender Ait-Nouri?

Juventus have reportedly become the latest club to consider a January move for Wolverhampton Wanderers defender Rayan Ait-Nouri.

Having initially moved to Molineux on loan in 2020, the left-back is now in his third season with the Premier League outfit with 65 appearances to his name.

During that stint, the France Under-21s international has contributed four goals and eight assists, with half of his strikes coming in the last week.

After scoring in added-on time versus Gillingham in the EFL Cup last Tuesday, Ait-Nouri netted a dramatic last-gasp winner against Everton in the Premier League on Boxing Day.

However, at a time when the 21-year-old has been introduced as a substitute in each game, it has been claimed that new Wolves boss Julen Lopetegui is open to an exit.

Ait-Nouri is currently second fiddle to Hugo Bueno, who has just penned a new deal, and Wolves have been credited with an interest in alternative left-backs.

In recent days, Nice have been linked with Ait-Nouri, but it appears that the Ligue 1 outfit could face considerable competition for his signature.

According to Calciomercato, Juventus are monitoring any developments with the player's future.

The report suggests that Juventus are interested in a loan deal with option to buy, or a part-exchange deal with one of their squad players.

Central midfielder Weston McKennie, who has frequently been linked with a move away from Turin, is suggested as a possible option if Juventus decide to press ahead with a proposal.

However, such a deal may prove complicated for Wolves with Angers in line to receive a significant percentage of any transfer fee that Wolves generate from any exit for Ait-Nouri.

The report adds that Wolves may be expected to pay as much as €15m (£13.27m) as well as Ait-Nouri if they wish to sign McKennie, something which is realistically highly unlikely.

Including a one-year option held by the club, Ait-Nouri is tied to Wolves until 2027, whereas McKennie is only contracted to Juventus until 2025.

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