TalkSPORT pundit has tipped Manchester City defender for a potential move to Tottenham.
The Premier League confirmed that Manchester City have been found guilty of all charges related to breaches of Premier League financial rules between the 2009-10 and 2017-18 seasons.
An independent commission found that, during that time period, the Sky Blues arranged the “sham contracts” as well as “relying on sham agreements to artificially inflate the club’s revenues and reduce its costs”. The club continue to deny any offence and have until October 2 to submit an appeal.
The case could directly concern Tottenham Hotspur, with the club potentially able to claim up to £50 million worth in compensation, although any such decisions remain a long way off. If Manchester City cannot prove their innocence before the October 2 deadline, Spurs could join a union of Premier League clubs seeking formal compensation through legal channels.
Sanctions have not yet been decided, but the Premier League rulebook allows for a range of possible penalties, including fines, transfer bans, points deductions, compensation to other clubs or even ejection from the Premier League in extreme settings. A combination of all such punishments is also a possibility.
Gabby Agbonlahor tips Tottenham to sign Manchester City defender
Logically, numerous Man City players could leave should expulsion from the Premier League be among the punishments. If that happens, clubs across Europe would be ready to pounce on their stars.
In a talkSPORT show, former Aston Villa striker Gabby Agbonlahor has tipped Tottenham to target Rayan Ait-Nouri of City. He feels the left-back could fit in well at Spurs.
After five seasons with Wolves, Rayan Ait-Nouri made the move to Man City last year. He endured an injury-hit debut season at the Etihad Stadium, limiting him to 17 Premier League appearances. He has yet to feature in the Premier League this season, with the Algerian international’s two appearances coming in cup competitions.
The 25-year-old has been deployed as a winger by Enzo Maresca in City’s 2-0 away win over FC Porto in the Champions League, where he assisted Erling Haaland’s second goal. Ait-Nouri bagged a brace of assists when starting in the 5-0 thrashing of Norwich City in the Carabao Cup third round earlier this month.
The French-born Algerian star can operate in multiple positions down the left, and that versatility could richly benefit Tottenham. However, it is worth noting that the Lilywhites snapped up Andy Robertson on a free transfer from Liverpool in June to compete with Destiny Udogie for the left-back spot. At this moment, Roberto De Zerbi has two strong options, but if Udogie’s injury problems persist, it would not be a bad idea to replace the Italian with Ait-Nouri in 2027.
