Hansi Flick has already said Barcelona are open to recruiting in January, and the left-back on the club's radar is Rayan Aït-Nouri. The discussion is still at an early stage, but the structure of any deal is already awkward. Manchester City are ready to let him leave on loan, while Barcelona want to avoid being tied into an obligation to buy.
Flick's January openness
Flick told Foot Mercato, in comments translated from French: "We are open to the idea of recruiting the best players for the team, any player capable of helping us progress."
He added that Barcelona had already discussed January options with Deco, Bojan and his staff. That lines up with the club's move to look at Aït-Nouri as they assess the left side of the defence.
The deal structure and rival interest
Manchester City want the loan to include an obligation to buy in the summer. Barcelona would rather keep the freedom to decide later.
The player profile is part of why the interest exists. Meczyki.pl reported that Aït-Nouri fits the left-back role Barcelona want because of his attacking instincts, ball carrying and comfort combining in tight spaces. Juventus are also in the picture, which adds another layer, even if no club has moved past interest.
Aït-Nouri's usage at City helps explain why a January move is being discussed. He has not played a single Premier League minute this season, but he has made 2 Champions League appearances and played 33 minutes in Europe. His biggest club minutes total has come in the League Cup, where he has played 134 minutes.
Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 4 outlets. How we work →
