The box office Man United and Man City transfer deal that could break the internet

It’s been 15 years since Owen Hargreaves became the last male player to move directly between Manchester United and Manchester City, and it’s a journey that only a very small handful of players have made in the history of the game. We could be about to witness one more player cross the divide.

According to new reports, United could try to solve their left-back problem by making a January move for Rayan Aït-Nouri, who has struggled to earn a consistent starting spot at the Etihad. So how likely is it that a transfer will take place, and would a deal fix the full-back issue at Old Trafford?

Manchester United targeting Rayan Aït-Nouri – reports

A string of recent stories have linked Aït-Nouri with a move to Manchester United, but most of the gossip columnists who have suggested such a deal seem to be copying the homework of Sky Sport Germany journalist Florian Plettenberg.

Plettenberg reported on Tuesday that United “would like to sign” the 25-year-old, while Aït-Nouri himself was apparently “open to leaving” Manchester City, presumably in the hope of finding regular first-team football elsewhere.

Were it not for the animosity between the two sides, it would be a pretty logical move for all parties involved. After all, United tried and failed to sign a new left-back in the summer to compete with Luke Shaw, and their problem in that position has only been made more acute by recent injuries to both Shaw and Patrick Dorgu, who is viewed internally as being better as a winger than a wing-back. City, meanwhile, seem to have little use for Aït-Nouri.

The former Wolves man never established himself as anything more than a rotational option under Pep Guardiola and his stock has plummeted further under Enzo Maresca. Aït-Nouri has made just four appearances in all competitions this season and hasn’t played at all in the Premier League. Nico O’Reilly and Joško Gvardiol are both ahead of him in the pecking order.

United, therefore, need a left-back, City have one they view as a spare part, and the player himself would presumably like to be a starter somewhere else. All the pieces could easily fall into place for a January deal.

Whether the two clubs will be able to put their differences aside for long enough to negotiate a deal is doubtful, however, and Manchester City would almost certainly prefer to sell to anyone else. The relationship between the two teams’ respective owners has been relatively frosty for a while, and their boards are acutely aware of the rivalry that exists between their teams’ supporters.

There’s also a perfectly valid question as to whether a deal really is United’s priority. They have been linked with several other left-backs, and the primary source for the story, Plettenberg, has a somewhat patchy track record outside of his home turf. The rumour is entirely plausible, but it would be nice to see some other reliable sources repeating it.

There’s also no mention of the transfer fee that would be involved. Manchester City spent up to £37m on Aït-Nouri when he joined in 2025, but that may not offer a reliable guide price given the lack of consistent impact he has had at the Etihad. Personal terms, at least, probably wouldn’t be a problem.

Gauging the likelihood of such a transfer taking place is tricky at this juncture – but one question which can perhaps be answered is whether Aït-Nouri would be a good signing for Manchester United.

Would Rayan Aït-Nouri be a good signing for Manchester United?

One thing that’s not completely clear is whether Manchester United would prefer to sign a full-back who’s a defender first and foremost, or one who can support the attack effectively. The alleged shortlist of players they’re said to be scouting is a mixed bag. But whatever their preferences, Aït-Nouri is unlikely to be a major letdown.

Even if he never fully established himself at Manchester City, his work when he did play was largely impressive, and both his one-on-one defending and his ball-carrying skills are strong.

The Algeria international won over 60% of his one-on-one ground duels in both the Premier League and Champions League for Manchester City, a very impressive mark, and has been dribbled past less than once every two games he’s played. Meanwhile, he has a very high success rate on the dribble for a defender who makes as many aggressive forward runs as he does.

A more conservative manager – and that could include current head coach Michael Carrick, not that his own future is at all certain – might want a left-back who takes fewer risks with the ball at his feet, but Aït-Nouri pushes play downfield frequently enough that the risk-reward balance is there, and his total of eight assists in 35 competitive appearances for Manchester City is impressive.

Aït-Nouri didn’t get squeezed out at Manchester City because he played poorly, but because Gvardiol and O’Reilly played better. Manchester United would be signing a very capable player, just not necessarily one who’s as good as the players their crosstown rivals have on their books right now.

There’s a school of thought which suggests that it wouldn’t be worthwhile signing a second-best option, and that instead United should be looking to sign someone with a higher ceiling who could help the squad to get up to City’s level. On the other hand, they need a short-term solution for a depleted position group, and Aït-Nouri would probably prove to be an upgrade over Diogo Dalot. Maybe ‘good enough’ is good enough for now.

We may well find out whether he would be a good signing in January. The prospect of a deal remains relatively distant at this point in time, but the conditions exist for it to take place. It would certainly be among the most intriguing moves of the coming transfer window if it did.