He will improve my game — Ait Nouri confident of taking next step under Guardiola

Algeria international Ait-Nouri joined Manchester City from Wolves for £31 million as part of a squad overhaul after a disappointing 2024-25 campaign.

The 24-year-old made a strong impression on his debut, helping City to a 6-0 rout of Abu Dhabi’s Al Ain at the Club World Cup in the United States on Sunday.

Ait-Nouri believes he’s in the perfect environment to grow under the guidance of Pep Guardiola.

“It’s a big honour, I can improve a lot with him,” said Ait-Nouri, the first true left-back to play for City since Benjamin Mendy’s final appearance nearly four years ago.

“We saw in the last few years that he makes a lot of things. He wins every time with this team.

“He’s the best manager and I’m very happy to work with him. For sure, I will improve my football.”

Reflecting on playing alongside stars like Erling Haaland, he added: “It’s very good for me. We know Erling is a great player, he does a lot of things for the football.

"For sure, it’s good to play with him, and to play with the other players. It’s the best team in the world on its good day.“It was freedom. I’m very happy to play like this, without the pressure, and I enjoyed playing with this team.“Hopefully, it will continue like this.”