Manchester City are closing in on the signing of defender Abdukodir Khusanov after reaching an agreement with Lens for his transfer, sources have told ESPN.
City are on the verge of sealing a deal worth more than £40 million for the 20-year-old Uzbekistan centre-back.
His representatives are in Manchester to discuss the final details and a medical could take place over the weekend before an official announcement.
If everything goes smoothly, Khusanov will become City’s first signing of the January transfer window.
Khusanov is set to join Pep Guardiola’s first-team squad immediately to compensate for the loss of Rúben Dias and John Stones to injury.
Guardiola has been left short of centre-backs this season with Manuel Akanji and Nathan Aké both having spells on the sidelines.
Lens are set to make a remarkable profit from Khusanov’s move to the Premier League. The defender joined the Ligue 1 club from Energetik-BGU in the Belarusian top flight in July 2023 in a deal worth around €100,000 and is now set for a big-money move to City having played just 31 games for the French club.
Sources have told ESPN that Lens wanted to keep the defender for another six months but had to agree a deal to balance their books after missing out on more than €40m in transfer fees last summer when moves for Kevin Danso and Neil El Aynaoui collapsed. Sources said the club asked super agent Jorge Mendes to find the much-admired Khusanov a new club this month.
Meanwhile, sources have told ESPN that City remain interested in 18-year-old Brazilian defender Vitor Reis. Contact has been made with his club, Palmeiras, although they would like the youngster to stay with them until the summer.
Eintracht Frankfurt forward Omar Marmoush also remains a January target. The 25-year-old is rated at around £50 million and has scored 13 goals in 15 Bundesliga games this season. City are yet to make a formal offer for the Egypt international but Frankfurt expect one to arrive before the deadline.
