The 2023/24 season has been a hard-fought slog for Arsenal. Mikel Arteta’s side have pushed Manchester City to their limit but still might fail to win the Premier League title at the end of the season.
The Gunners currently sit on 77 points, one point ahead of the current champions, although Pep Guardiola’s side do have a game in hand. Should they win that, they will go above Arsenal by two points.
Certainly, though, Arsenal can hold their heads high again this season. Their form in 2024 has been marvellous, having played 14 games in the Premier League, winning 12, drawing once to City and losing 2-0 at home to Aston Villa. They have been formidable.
A big reason why the Gunners have done so well this season is thanks to excellent recruitment, which is largely down to sporting director, Edu. The signings of Declan Rice from West Ham for £105m and Kai Havertz from Chelsea for £65m have made a particular difference.
However, one weaker point of Arsenal’s side is at left-back. They have Jakub Kiwior and Oleksandr Zinchenko as options there, although neither player has made the position their own. Edu’s next area of focus may well be there, and Arsenal have recently been linked with one of the most exciting Premier League left-backs.
Arsenal looking to sign Premier League left-back
The man the Gunners have been linked with is Wolverhampton Wanderers star and Algeria international Rayan Ait-Nouri. The 22-year-old is having a stellar season for the Midlands side and has been linked with a host of moves away from Molineux this summer.
According to a report from The Boot Room, Arsenal are tracking the former Angers defender, although Premier League rivals Chelsea, and title challengers Man City, are also interested in signing him this summer.
Wolves could be set for a healthy profit should they sell Ait-Nouri. They paid £9.5m for him in 2021, after a season-long loan from French side Angers. Following some excellent performances this season, the 22-year-old is valued at £34.2m, according to Football Observatory, although he could well cost Arsenal and other sides more than that.
Why Rayan Ait-Nouri would be a good signing for Arsenal
There have been some standout left-backs in the Premier League this season, including Fulham’s Antonee Robinson, Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez and Tottenham’s Destiny Udogie. However, Ait-Nouri might well have been the best of the bunch.
Football analyst Ben Mattinson on X explained that he believes Ait-Nouri is a “genuine shout” for the left-back slot in the "team of the season". It is certainly easy to see why. The 22-year-old has two goals and one assist in 29 Premier League games for Wolves.
He is a great creative influence for Gary O’Neil’s side. According to SofaScore, Ait-Nouri has created two big chances and averages 0.8 key passes per game, which is bettered by just three Wolves players; Matheus Cunha with 0.9, Pablo Sarabia with 1.9 and Pedro Neto with 2.
Ait-Nouri is also a superb progressive dribbler. According to Fbref, the 22-year-old, who has four caps for Algeria so far, completes 2.01 carries into the final third per 90 minutes, which ranks him in the top 16%.
Ait-Nouri has also averaged 1.9 dribbles per game in 2023/24, which is better than Arsenal’s star man, Bukayo Saka, who has averaged just 1.3 dribbles per game, despite operating in a more advanced berth.
Not only that, he completes more take-ons per 90 minutes than Saka. As per Fbref, the Arsenal number seven averages 1.42 successful take-ons, compared to Ait-Nouri’s 2.50 successful take-ons, ranking him in the top 2% amongst full-backs.
In signing Ait-Nouri, the Gunners would be getting a superb creative influence in the final third, and a quick and skilful dribbler. The Algerian would hope to develop a strong understanding with Gabriel Martinelli on the left wing, with the Brazilian cutting inside and Ait-Nouri overlapping him.
For a market value of just £34.2m, it seems like a no-brainer deal for Arsenal to get over the line. Ait-Nouri – who's been hailed as "one of the Premier League’s best players in 2024" by Sky Sports' Dougie Critchley – would bolster their side, make them better in possession and add a different threat in the final third.
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