49 tackles won: "Phenomenal" Wolves gem has been Lage's "standout" player this season - opinion

Wolves have had a rather mixed bag of results so far this season, having won 12, drawn four and lost 10 of their 26 Premier League games under Bruno Lage.

In terms of their individual players, one man who has been anything but inconsistent in terms of his performances this season is Rayan Ait-Nouri.

The Midlands club originally signed the left-back on loan from Angers in October 2020 before eventually securing him on a permanent basis in last summer’s transfer window in a deal worth a reported £9.5m. Last season saw the defender make 21 league appearances and chip in with one goal and one assist along the way.

Having made an appearance in 15 league games so far this term, the Frenchman has earned him an overall performance rating of 7.12/10, making him the highest-rated player in Lage’s squad according to WhoScored. Also, it is considerably higher than the rating (6.56/10) he earned last season, showing the improvement he has made since then.

The 20-year-old has also proved himself to be a solid defensive presence for the Old Gold by making 49 tackles in the league, with an average of 3.3 per game. That is higher than any other Wolves player to have started more than two league games, and the joint-second highest in the entire league.

He has also made 15 interceptions and 22 clearances with 15 aerial duels won, showing that he has played a big part in his team’s rather decent defensive record, with just 21 top-flight goals conceded.

The youngster has also shown his manager what a threat he can be going forward, with an average of 1.9 dribbles and 1.1 crosses per game, the highest of any player currently at Molineux for both aspects.

Having been praised for his “phenomenal” performances in the past and called a “standout”