A Project’s Redemption

Wolves continue to be one of the biggest underperformers this season, once more becoming relegation fodder. While most players fit into the team’s struggles, Rayan Aït-Nouri has finally broken out.

Out of nowhere, the Algerian seemingly became the league’s best left-back.

Over the past three seasons, Wolves fell back to Earth after what seemed to be a Brighton-esque rise from the Championship. Unlike Brighton, the Wolves project failed to really produce players of note at the highest level.

The one player most able to potentially change that is left-back Aït-Nouri. For a team lacking nearly everything, the left-back is the most complete player on a trainwreck. As the Wolves project collapses, the team has a chance to redeem themselves with Aït-Nouri at least somewhat.

While fans began to notice him last season, no one really expected the Algerian’s rise. In a way, his playstyle and career follow that of Theo Hernandez. Both leftbacks rose up as more attacking-minded players but needed seasons to develop.

As top clubs begin to circle Wolves like vultures, Aït-Nouri will be the first name on everyone’s lips.

The market will be hot for the left-back, but there are still concerns with his game that the right team can fix.

Wolves’ project following their promotion mirrored that of other more recently promoted clubs in Brighton and Nottingham Forest. In all three cases, a central thesis on how to operate in the Prem as a smaller club lay at the heart of the project.

Brighton chose to become an expert in scouting, Nottingham, a club that would become part of a portfolio, but Wolves zagged under the guidance of super agent Jorge Mendes. The club aimed to use his links to build themselves into a future powerhouse. Heavily scouting and targeting Portuguese players, or those with experience in Portugal, Mendes and co wanted this path to be theirs.

To be fair, the early returns looked promising. Rúben Neves shockingly joined the club while it was still lingering in the Championship before becoming one of the more underrated midfielders in the Prem. Ultimately, the goal became to become a feeder club, much like Brighton, but their scouting department failed.

A decent amount of moments point towards the moment that the rails fell out from under the project. However, the failure of Fábio Silva’s transfer marks the end of the Mendes era of the club.

PHOTO: Wolverhampton Wanderers FC

After the youngster failed to live up to the hype placed upon him truly, the club moved towards an era of expanded scouting. This included making moves for players that other clubs had failed to develop properly. Aït-Nouri falls more in the camp of improved scouting and is perhaps one of the better moves since the club got promoted.

After a few seasons in France, the Wolves’ front office felt that there was enough in his game to warrant a move. For most of those early seasons, the Algerian flashed hints of potential, but there was always something left to be wanted. Be it his defensive work or his final movements in the attack, until this season, there were too many holes in his game.

Still not a perfect player, Aït-Nouri symbolizes the final gasps of the dying project of a club. For a club that failed to truly figure out how to succeed in the Prem, the Algerian offers them a final chance.

Aït-Nouri represents a schism in the expectations of the modern fullback.

While glaring issues exist in his game, there’s enough to suggest that he can be a solid player at the highest level.

The Algerian’s game contains more shades of Theo Hernandez rather than Trent Arnold-Alexander. By being a fullback who plays further out wide rather than plugging into the midfield, he has shades of the great fullbacks of the 2010s. So far this season, Wolves only truly threaten through his runs on the left.

While his goal-scoring prowess captures the eye, he is an excellent passer and dribbler as well. For a player out wide, having various ways to beat opponents off the dribble can only draw more defenders your way. Wolves lack dynamic players on the wing, and Aït-Nouri became their best player because he’s the only one who can create space out there. 

This ability to create space also yields easier chances for his teammates, as seen in his assist numbers. He’s still a somewhat limited playmaker, but the glimpses are promising.

Perhaps not too surprising for an offensive-minded fullback, but his defensive metrics are worrying. While Wolves remain one of the worst defensive teams in the league, the Algerian still struggles with his ability to stop the ball. One imagines that with a better midfield, those flaws can be covered up, but that will ultimately limit his ceiling.

If Liverpool begins to prepare to move off from Andy Robertson, Aït-Nouri fits well. Yes, the defense will still be a concern, but the offense fits with how Slot plays. United remains a good shout as well, but Amorim may look to bring in players he’s more comfortable with.

Wolves found a gem in Aït-Nouri, but the time has come for the team to move on from him. His attacking prowess draws elite sides in, even if his defense remains a concern.

As Wolves prepare for life in the Championship, they need to make a nice profit on Aït-Nouri. The left-back fits the need for some top signs and will continue to get better with time.

Wolves’ project never fully took off, but they have this final chance to find some redemption, at least.

PHOTO: Wolverhampton Wanderers FC