Rayan Ait-Nouri 'copies Maradona' as ex-Liverpool coach already told Arne Slot what to expect

If Liverpool is looking for a recommendation on Rayan Ait-Nouri, the Reds may already have it from one of the club’s former coaches.

Ait-Nouri is the latest name to be linked with a move to Anfield this summer. According to journalist Abdel Hamed, the left-back is set to leave Wolves this summer, with a trio of clubs battling it out for his signature.

Liverpool is claimed to be winning the race, with Chelsea and Manchester City lagging behind. The player though hasn’t given any indication – publicly at least – that he is looking to move away from Molineux anytime soon.

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Ait-Nouri is under contract with Wolves until 2026, and the club isn’t about to let him go cheaply, with claims that the 23-year-old could cost as much as $75m (£59m/€70m).

With Liverpool reportedly open to offers for Kostas Tsimikas this summer though (Daily Mail), the Reds could well be on the lookout for another left-back option to compete with Andy Robertson. And if Arne Slot needs any convincing, Gary O’Neil has already told him what to expect.

The Wolves boss, who was previously assistant manager for Liverpool U23s, has spoken glowingly about Ait-Nouri on a number of occasions, including after a 2-2 draw with Newcastle back in October.

“I love Rayan. He’s mad, firstly, and you can see he’s mad in the way he plays,” O’Neil told Sky Sports. "He does five or six Maradona walks a game, which you don’t see from every left-back. We’re trying to take some of that out of him, but use them when he needs them.

“We’ve improved his fitness levels, and he’s one that you can improve. I don’t think he’s done too much work on understanding the tactical side of the game.

“He’s a great one to work with, he’s fully committed to everything, and there’s a lot of room for improvement with the sort of raw talent that he has. If we can just harness it a little bit, give him a little bit of understanding, calm down some of the craziness, the sky’s the limit for Rayan.”

Liverpool.com says: Ait-Nouri sounds like the sort of player that would have flourished under Jurgen Klopp! With his similar style of playing, Slot may also be able to get the best out of him.

That is of course if Liverpool is in the running for the left-back. It wouldn’t come as a shock if Tsimikas was moved on, considering he’s never going to displace Robertson as first-choice, but $75m is an awful lot to be spending on a potential replacement. The Reds would have to be certain he can become the sort of player O’Neil has predicted.