Mansion Sports – Manchester United have made a surprising move on transfer deadline day to sign Rayan Ait-Nouri from their cross-city rivals, Manchester City.

The Algerian international has struggled to secure playing time under Enzo Maresca at the Etihad Stadium and could be given an opportunity to revive his career at Old Trafford.

Red Devils Launch Bold Cross-City Hijack

In one of the most unexpected developments of the summer transfer window, Manchester United have made an official enquiry about Manchester City wing-back Ait-Nouri, according to talkSPORT.

The Red Devils are keen to strengthen their defensive options before the midnight deadline, and Michael Carrick has identified the 25-year-old as a potential solution to his problems at left-back.

Although transfers between the two Manchester giants have historically been rare, the Algerian defender’s lack of playing time has opened up an opportunity that United appear keen to exploit.

It remains unclear whether talks will continue tonight following the initial approach, with City sources currently playing down the possibility of an agreement being reached.

The Premier League champions are reportedly maintaining their position, suggesting that a deal with Carrick’s side would be almost impossible to complete at such a late stage.

Carrick Seeks Defensive Reinforcement

United’s attempt to sign Ait-Nouri comes after a frustrating summer in their search for a specialist left-back.

The club have monitored a number of high-profile targets across Europe but have so far failed to secure their preferred options.

They were previously strongly linked with Newcastle United’s Lewis Hall, but a breakthrough in negotiations was never achieved.

Despite making a rushed attempt to secure a player at this late stage of the transfer window, Carrick has continued to express a positive public view of his squad’s composition, although the sudden move for a City player suggests that there are still weaknesses that he believes need to be addressed.

Ait-Nouri’s Struggles at the Etihad

For Ait-Nouri, a move to the red side of Manchester would represent an opportunity to revive a career that has stalled since his high-profile move from Molineux.

The wing-back was signed by City in a deal worth around £32 million last summer, but his progress has been hindered by a series of setbacks.

An ankle injury at the beginning of the season disrupted his integration into the first team, while his involvement became increasingly limited when he left to represent Algeria at the Africa Cup of Nations midway through the campaign.

Under Maresca’s new leadership, the defender has instead fallen further down the pecking order.

With players such as Josko Gvardiol, Rico Lewis, and Nico O’Reilly all capable of playing in his preferred position, Ait-Nouri remained an unused substitute in City’s opening Premier League victories over Bournemouth and Crystal Palace, making his future appear increasingly uncertain.

Final Hours of the Transfer Window

As time continues to run down towards the transfer deadline, Manchester United are racing against the clock to see whether City will soften their stance.

The Red Devils had also previously considered a move for Barcelona’s 22-year-old Alejandro Balde, but the Spanish player chose to stay and fight for his place under Hansi Flick.

That has made Ait-Nouri one of the leading alternatives during the final hours of the transfer window.

However, City will remember that the player made only 17 Premier League appearances last season and may be reluctant to help a direct rival, despite the fact that the player currently does not feature in their first-team plans.