Real Madrid has once again failed in the market in search of a center-back. After the 'blow' of Leny Yoro's signing by Manchester United last summer, Florentino Pérez has once again been left empty-handed for another promising defender who leans towards the famous English city as a destination. This Friday, defender Abdukodir Khusanov accepted an offer from Manchester City to become the first winter signing for Pep Guardiola's team.
According to journalist Fabrizio Romano, the transfer of the Uzbek center-back was finalized for a fixed fee of €40 million, plus additional performance bonuses. The player from Tashkent had a contract with Lens until June 2027, but will ultimately finish the current season under the orders of the Catalan coach. Khusanov played 16 matches (1,219 minutes) in the first half of the 2024-25 season.
City signs one of the revelations of Ligue 1
Madrid was very interested in the 20-year-old center-back, but Lens's financial demands were too high for the 'White House'. Indeed, the price of the Uzbek player was not at all affordable, as his market value on Transfermarkt is around 12 million and Lens initially asked for €50 million to let him go. The defender stood out with Will Still's team for his quality on the ball and excellent space coverage, being one of the major revelations of Ligue 1.
Khusanov is also very efficient in aerial play, thanks to his height of 1.86 m, and despite his youth, he possesses notable physical strength, which does not detract from his agility and speed in one-on-one situations. Guardiola prioritized the signing of another center-back after the injuries of John Stones and Rúben Dias, although the Portuguese is expected to return by the end of January. With Stones, the outlook is much more uncertain due to plantar fasciitis.