Barcelona Weigh January Loan Move for Manchester City's Rayan Aït-Nouri

What happened

Barcelona have identified Manchester City left-back Rayan Aït-Nouri as a possible January signing, according to a report from Fichajes cited by Diario Sport and relayed by Get Spanish Football News. The Catalan club's board, with Deco involved in recruitment, is searching the market for left-back reinforcements ahead of an expected departure by Alejandro Balde.

Report details

Balde's exit is presented as the trigger for the search. The report states that manager Hansi Flick has told the Spaniard he is not in his plans, leaving Balde to consider leaving mid-season. Should Balde go, Barcelona would need to bring in a new left-back, and the report describes Aït-Nouri, who plays a secondary role at Manchester City, as a potential fit, with Barcelona said to be monitoring his situation closely.

The two clubs are reported to differ on the structure of any deal. Barcelona are said to favour a loan without an obligation to buy, while Manchester City, where Aït-Nouri is also described as out of favour, want an automatic purchase clause included. The sourcing is a media report rather than official confirmation, and no agreement is stated.