Manchester City have reportedly agreed a deal worth €40m (£33.6m) to sign Lens centre-back Abdukodir Khusanov, although this is unlikely to mark the end of their investment mid-season.
Khusanov, a 20-year-old Uzbekistan international who joined Lens 18 months ago for the paltry sum of 100,000 euros (£84,000), had attracted interest from Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur this month. The 1.90 meter tall right-footer was on the fringes of the French club’s first team squad last season after making the significant move from Belarusian side Energetik-BGU Minsk in 2023.
Khusanov is now an established cog in the heart of Will Still’s defensive rearguard and is reportedly close to signing a four-and-a-half year contract with Manchester City The athlete.
The arrival of a new centre-back is just the first step in a busy January window for Pep Guardiola’s failed champions.
City are close to agreeing a deal with Eintracht Frankfurt striker Omar Marmoush. Fabrizio Romano Reports. A move for the former Liverpool target appeared to have stalled after the Bundesliga club set a hefty price tag of €80m (£67m). Nevertheless, City had agreed personal terms with Marmoush and is now making “rapid progress” in talks with the club about an appropriate transfer fee.
An official announcement could come as early as next week.
Romano claims that Guardiola sees Marmoush as the “perfect player to replace Julian Alvarez”. The Argentine World Cup winner was sold to Atlético Madrid in the summer for a sum of around £81.5 million. Aging attacking midfielder Ilkay Gündogan was the only player who arrived at the Etihad in the summer with the same characteristics as Alvarez.
Without another attacking option, the burden of scoring falls on Erling Haaland’s broad shoulders. City’s prolific number nine has an impressive 16 Premier League goals to his name this season, but left-back Josko Gvardiol is the club’s second-top scorer with just four goals. Mateo Kovacic (three) is the only other player to have scored more than two goals in the top flight this season.
Marmoush scored 13 goals in his first 15 Bundesliga games – a tally only bettered by Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane this season.
City are also in advanced talks with Palmeiras centre-back Vitor Reis as Guardiola’s side desperately turn to the transfer market to salvage a season that has currently seen them languish in sixth place in the Premier League table.