Manchester City left-back Rayan Ait-Nouri is the subject of early-stage transfer discussions with Juventus, according to a report relayed by Sport Witness from Gazzetta dello Sport. The development comes as uncertainty continues to cloud the club following their high-profile guilty verdict on 114 breaches of Premier League rules.

Ait-Nouri, 25, arrived at City for a reported £31 million after leaving Wolverhampton Wanderers, yet he has failed to make a single Premier League appearance this season under manager Enzo Maresca. He is one of only two senior outfield players yet to feature in the league — a telling sign of where he stands in Maresca's plans.

A poor fit for Maresca's system

FourFourTwo understands that Maresca's reluctance to integrate Ait-Nouri stems from positional concerns. The Italian prefers full-backs who can invert into central areas, a profile that does not suit the Algerian international, whom Maresca described earlier this season as someone he sees "more as a winger than full-back."

With academy graduate Nico O'Reilly claiming the left-back berth ahead of him, Ait-Nouri's route into the starting eleven looks firmly blocked.

Juventus circle, but a starting role is not guaranteed

Gazzetta dello Sport reports that Juventus, known as the Old Lady, have already made contact with Ait-Nouri's entourage. The Italian club are said to favour a loan deal with an option to buy, and the player himself is reportedly eager to move — keen to establish himself as a regular starter rather than a peripheral figure.

A move to Turin may not deliver the guarantee he seeks, however. Andrea Cambiaso is expected to be ahead of Ait-Nouri in the pecking order at Juventus, meaning he could find himself in a familiar position of competing for limited game time.

A difficult year for Ait-Nouri at City

Ait-Nouri made 15 league appearances in Pep Guardiola's final season — a promising foundation that ultimately came to nothing. An ankle injury sidelined him for close to two months last autumn, and he never reclaimed his place in the starting eleven once Guardiola opted to push Josko Gvardiol into a central defensive role.

He did travel with City to the FIFA Club World Cup last summer and appeared to be in contention for a key role, but those hopes faded quickly. Transfermarkt currently values him at €40 million.

Manchester City, meanwhile, are appealing the Premier League's verdict on the 114 charges, while on the pitch Maresca's side have made a strong start — accumulating 15 points from their opening five Premier League matches and advancing in both the Carabao Cup and the UEFA Champions League.