Manchester City: a new role is emerging for Aït-Nouri

Underused since the start of the season, Rayan Aït-Nouri could see his role change at Manchester City. Enzo Maresca is considering deploying him higher up the pitch.

Rayan Aït-Nouri could experience an unexpected transformation in his role at Manchester City this season. According to Simon Bajkowski, a journalist for the Manchester Evening News, Enzo Maresca is looking to view the Algerian international more as a left winger rather than a genuine option for the left-back position.

According to the same source, Rayan Aït-Nouri is currently neither the first, nor the second, nor even the third choice of the Italian coach for the left-back position. However, Maresca greatly appreciates his offensive profile, particularly his technique, dribbling ability, and the accuracy of his passes in the final third.

A more offensive role could offer a new dimension to the 25-year-old player, whose start to the season has been particularly quiet in terms of playing time. After being on the bench for the first three matchdays of the Premier League and the Community Shield, Aït-Nouri has only accumulated 15 minutes in official competition this season. 

However, these few minutes have been enough for him to make an impact: coming on against FC Porto in the Champions League, the Algerian provided an assist to Erling Haaland. A successful appearance that could indeed strengthen Maresca's idea of using him higher up the pitch.

DZfoot