Manchester City have confirmed the signing of centre-back Abdukodir Khusanov from Lens, making the 20-year-old their first signing of January transfer Window.
Khusanov, who is expected to become the first player from Uzbekistan to play in the Premier League, is said to have cost around €40m (£33.6m). A long-term contract promises to keep him at the Etihad Stadium until at least the summer of 2029.
“I am very happy to be joining Manchester City, a club I have enjoyed watching for a long time,” Khusanov told his new team’s official website.
“This squad is made up of the best players in the world and I can’t wait to meet them and play with them. And of course Pep Guardiola is one of the best coaches of all time and I’m really looking forward to learning from him and improving my game even more.
“It is a very proud moment for me and my family to join a great club like Manchester City and I am more than ready for the challenge.”
City sporting director Txiki Begiristain highlighted Khusanov’s intelligence for a player with relatively little senior experience, as well as strength, aggression and speed as key attributes.
“Working with Pep will only make him better and when you talk to him he is determined to keep improving,” added the Spaniard, who will be replaced by Hugo Viana in the summer.
Khusanov has chosen to wear City’s number 45 shirt, made famous by former striker Mario Balotelli and also previously worn by Micah Richards. At Lens he wore the number 25 on his back, but at the first club Energetik-BGU from Minsk in Belarus he wore the number 45.
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