Pep Guardiola moves closer to making Man City's first January signing (Image: Getty)
Manchester City are set to strike first among the Premier League's big guns in this month's transfer window, with one of their top targets free to leave.
Pep Guardiola's side are reportedly in talks to sign Lens defender Abdukodir Khusanov to strengthen their backline. The reigning champions have scored no less than 27 league goals this season, with teams opening them up at will in recent weeks.
And Khusanov is considered one of the best young defenders on the continent. Today, Lens chief executive Pierre Dreossi added fuel to City's transfer race by admitting the 20-year-old would leave before the end of the month.
“Khousanov is going to leave,” he told DAZN in France. “There haven't been any good offers yet. If he wants to leave and if the offers are good enough, it's all about finding an economic balance.”
Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano reported earlier this week that City had placed Khusanov on their winter wishlist. And while the window is slowly starting to take shape, the Blues are still in “active contact” with Lens and the player’s entourage.
Other big clubs are thought to be keeping tabs on Khusanov, but in a window that needs a big move to drive the market up, City have money to spend after spending conservatively over the past few windows.
Abdukodir Khusanov is a regular at Lens at just 20 years old (Image: Getty)
Lens paid a pittance to sign Khusanov from Belarusian club Energetik-BGU in 2023, and they are set to net a tidy profit, with his current price tag reported at £20m. City have avoided spending big in January since spending on Aymeric Laporte in 2018.
And Guardiola suggested fans hoping for a winter blowout would be disappointed. The Catalan head coach faces a fight to finish in the top four this season, but he does not want to see City return to panic buying.
“I don't know [whether we will sign anyone] At the moment it's not easy,” he explained. “It won't be easy. Maybe we sign someone, maybe we don't sign anyone.
“The club has to be wise. Don't do it just for the sake of doing it. We want to add players for the situation we have because the players have constant injuries repeatedly. The club has to do it but I'm not sure . if that is possible.”
Source: https://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/1996413/pep-guardiola-man-city-abdukodir-khusanov