Wolverhampton Wanderers thought they had made their second signing of the window over the weekend, as it appeared Manu Silva was on his way to Molineux.
Unfortunately for Vitor Pereira, Benfica hijacked the move, meaning he will have to turn elsewhere for a new signing.
There could also be activity the other way, as clubs are circling a few current players in the squad.
Rayan Ait-Nouri is one who seems to be attracting the most interest, as a current Premier League side are showing plenty of interest in the defender.
Wolves could sell Rayan Ait-Nouri
According to Caught Offside, Manchester United have shifted their focus to Ait-Nouri after missing out on Nuno Mendes.
The Old Trafford side are now making the Wolves star a priority and the report states that the Old Gold could accept a bid of around €55-60m (£45m-£52m) to let him leave the Midlands.
The Red Devils could also try and bring the price down by offering either Tyrell Malacia or Luke Shaw as part of the deal, although it remains to be seen whether Wolves would consider such a deal.
If so, securing the services of Shaw, someone who has plenty of experience in the Premier League, could be a wise move indeed.
Why Luke Shaw would be a wonderful Ait-Nouri replacement
The main concern regarding Shaw is his injury record. Since making the move to Man United from Southampton in 2014, the defender has missed a staggering 324 matches for the Old Trafford side due to a succession of injury issues.
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This means the left-back has played 278 times for the club, a figure which would have been far higher had he remained fit.
Pereira should only bring him to the Midlands if Shaw can stay fit and healthy. If so, then the Englishman could be a solid addition to the team.
The defender shone for Erik ten Hag during 2022/23, especially in the Premier League. Shaw recorded an average pass success rate of 86%, along with creating seven big chances, averaging 1.1 key passes and succeeding with 45% of his dribble attempts throughout the season.
Ten Hag even lauded the player with plenty of praise midway through the campaign, saying that the English full-back was “fabulous and impressive.”
2023/24
15
0
1
2022/23
47
1
6
2021/22
27
0
5
2020/21
47
1
6
2019/20
33
1
3
2018/19
40
1
5
2017/18
19
0
0
2016/17
19
0
1
2015/16
8
0
1
2014/15
20
0
1
The £150k-per-week star can certainly offer plenty to Wolves if he can stay 100% fit, making him a more than capable replacement for Ait-Nouri.
Still only 28, it feels as though Shaw has been around forever. He still has plenty in the tank and perhaps joining a club such as Wolves could be the catalyst for him going on to enjoy his football again.
Ait-Nouri will leave sooner rather than later. The question is, will it be this month?
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