Manchester City have completed the £34million signing of Lens defender Abdukodir Khusanov.
The 20-year-old put pen to paper on a four-and-a-half-year deal at the Etihad after impressing in Ligue 1.
Khusanov makes history with the move by becoming the first player from Uzbekistan to play in the Premier League.
We're delighted to announce the signing of Abdukodir Khusanov 🩵 pic.twitter.com/ltXMbzm3TK
— Manchester City (@ManCity) January 20, 2025
Who Is Manchester City’s Newest Signing Abdukodir Khusanov?
The centre-back is one of the promising defensive talents in Europe. After a stellar stint with Lens, Khusanov caught the eye of Europe’s elite with City winning the race to sign him.
Having left his homeland at the age of 18, Khusanov joined Belarusian football club Energetik-BGU in 2022.
He then made the switch to Lens less than 18 months later for just £84,000. The youngster is tall, standing in at 6ft 10in but is lightning quick. Khusanov managed a top speed sprint of 37km/h this season and is similar to Tottenham’s Micky van de Ven.
Abdukodir Khusanov vs Nice (H)pic.twitter.com/foEeU2tYT7
— RN (@rnvidss) January 20, 2025
However, the Uzbek rising star is not the best with the ball at his feet and has only played 24 times in Ligue 1 this season.
While he is one for the future, it remains to be seen how quickly Pep Guardiola will throw him into the mix.
What Did Khusanov Say On His Move To Manchester City?
After completing his big-money move, City’s new No 45 said: “I’m absolutely delighted to be joining Manchester City. It’s a club that I have enjoyed watching for a long time.
“This squad is full of the best players in the world, and I can’t wait to play alongside them. And of course Pep Guardiola is one of the greatest coaches ever. 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.”
Manchester City‘s director of football Txiki Begiristain added: “We are very happy that he has joined us and we are all very excited about what he will bring.
“For such a young defender, Abdukodir is already very intelligent, as well as being strong, aggressive and extremely quick. Working with Pep will only make him better and, speaking to him, he is determined to keep improving. He is a really exciting signing as we aim to keep progressing to maintain one of the best squads in Europe.”
Khusanov’s arrival comes days after Erling Haaland signed a new mammoth nine-and-a-half year deal to stay at the club.
