'Top target' - Wolves could be offered intriguing swap as PL rivals eye mighty £51m transfer raid

The January transfer window has just a couple of weeks left to go, and it's expected that the wheeling and dealing will become more frenzied as we hurtle closer to the February 3rd Deadline Day.

As fixtures begin to pile up and injuries start to take their toll, a number of Premier League sides will be looking for some reinforcements to ride out this turbulent time and ensure their goals are met by the end of the 2024/25 campaign.

So far this January, it's been a relatively sedate transfer window for Wolves, who have so far signed just one player - central defender Emmanuel Agbadou, who arrived for a fee of around £16.6m earlier this month. In terms of outgoings, youngsters Fletcher Holman and Jimmy Storer have been the only exits, heading out on loan spells to Solihull Moors and Chester respectively.

However, transfer rumours continue to swirl linking a host of Wolves' first team squad with moves elsewhere, and Rayan Ait-Nouri is the latest talent to be tipped to leave in January.

According to a fresh report from Caught Offside, Manchester United have set their sights on Ait-Nouri, with the 23-year-old's dazzling displays continuing to turn heads in the Premier League and beyond. The story claims that the Red Devils have "given up" on their primary target - Paris Saint-German's Nuno Mendes - and focused their attentions on Wolves’ star man instead.

How much could Wolves sell Ait-Nouri for?

The report claims that Wolves are far from keen on allowing the Algeria international to leave Molineux this month, with Vitor Pereira's side currently embroiled in a fiercely competitive relegation battle with the likes of Ipswich Town, Everton and Leicester City.

Such is their desire to keep the former Angers youngster, it is claimed that an offer as high as £51m may have to be lodged for Wolves to consider a sale - a fee that would see them make a £40m profit on what they paid for the defender back in 2021.

Intriguingly, the report goes on to suggest that United could offer either Tyrell Malacia or England international Luke Shaw to Wolves, in an attempt to pay a lower transfer fee for Ait-Nouri with the sweetener of a player plus cash offer.

As things stand, Ait-Nouri's contract will expire in the summer of 2026, meaning his re-sale value will continue to drop steadily over the course of the next 18 months.

What other transfer business could Wolves do this month?

In terms of other outgoings at Wolves this month, interest continues to grow in star forward Matheus Cunha, as the club look to tie the Brazilian sensation down to a new deal.

Cunha, who was suspended for his involved in a post-match brawl against Ipswich Town last month, has attracted interest from a number of elite Premier League sides, with Arsenal and Manchester City among the clubs believed to be chasing the 25-year-old star. With City now closing in on a big-money move for Frankurt attacker Omar Marmoush, you would expect Arsenal to be in pole position to sign Cunha.

Meanwhile, in terms of new signings, Wolves were said to be on the verge of sealing a £10m deal for Vitoria midfielder Manu Silva. However, the Portuguese talent, renowned for his defensive resilience and tough tackling, now looks set to seal a move to Benfica instead, after the Portuguese giants ‘hijacked’ Wolves’ move.

Other names to be linked with Wolves this month include the likes of Chelsea defender Renato Veiga - who now looks more likely to join Bundesliga like Borussia Dortmund - and Galatasaray striker Kelechi Iheanacho, who has previously played for both Leicester City and Manchester City.