Abdukodir Khusanov: Manchester City continue January rebuild with £38.8m signing of RC Lens defender
Updated 20/01/2025 at 22:10 GMT
Manchester City have bolstered their defensive ranks with the arrival of Abdukodir Khusanov from RC Lens. The 20-year-old adds to Pep Guardiola's centre-back options, following the injuries to Ruben Dias and John Stones. Khusanov leaves Lens after 18 months with the Ligue 1 club, since arriving from Belarusian side Energetik-BGU in July 2023. He is the first Premier League player from Uzbekistan.
Khusanov has joined Man City to ‘win trophies’ and work with ‘best coach’ Guardiola
Video credit: SNTV
Manchester City have completed the signing of Abdukodir Khusanov from RC Lens for a reported initial fee of £38.8 million.
The 20-year-old has signed a four-and-a-half year deal with the option to extend by a further 12 months, and gives Pep Guardiola another coveted option in defence heading into the second half of the season.
Khusanov leaves Lens after making 31 appearances for the club across all competitions, where he featured 16 times in the current campaign.
"I’m absolutely delighted to be joining Manchester City, a club that I have enjoyed watching for a long time," the defender said on the club's official website.
"This squad is full of the best players in the world, and I can’t wait to meet them and play alongside them.
"And of course, Pep Guardiola is one of the greatest coaches ever, and I am so excited to learn from him and improve my game even more.
"This is a very proud moment for me and my family to be joining a great club like Manchester City, and I’m more than ready for this challenge."
He has been a regular in Will Still's side this season, with 13 Ligue 1 appearances and three more in other competitions.
The defender missed just two league games back in November due to suspension, and provides competition for Nathan Ake and Manuel Akanji, as well as the injured Ruben Dias and John Stones in the heart of City's defence.
Khusanov has 18 Uzbekistan caps to his name and also represented the under-23 team at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
The Premier League champions are still actively chasing other targets this month and have already bolstered their defensive ranks with the arrival of Vitor Reis from Palmeiras.
Talks concerning the signing of Omar Marmoush from Eintracht Frankfurt continue to progress.
Frankfurt are reluctant to let the Egyptian forward leave this month, as the Bundesliga side aim to seal qualification for next season's UEFA Champions League.
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