Fabrizio Romano: Man City target 'complete' Ligue 1 wonderkid

Tom Weber

Updated: 3 Jan 2025 13:53 GMT
3 min read

Manchester City are interested in RC Lens centre-back Abdukodir Khusanov, according to Fabrizio Romano.

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The Uzbekistan international has emerged as one of French football's biggest talents this season, stepping in for the sidelined Kevin Danso earlier in the campaign and doing an admirable job.

Khusanov's rise to prominence has been swift and, at just 20, the athletic centre-back has the world at his feet, with coach Will Still insisting that he is already a 'complete' player despite his youth.

“Kodir is very, very fast," he said. "He’s an athlete. We joked that when he went to the Olympics, he could have done all sports with Uzbekistan he’s so complete!”

Unsurprisingly, then, links to Premier League clubs haven't been long in coming. Chelsea were previously said to be keeping tabs on him, but now a new suitor has emerged.

Man City shortlist Khusanov

According to Fabrizio Romano, Man City have shortlisted Khusanov as an option to bolster their backline this month. The transfer expert reports that the Cityzens are 'well informed' on his situation but that the race to sign him is still open.

In addition to his sky-high potential, Khusanov's price makes him an attractive commodity. While Romano does not provide a fee, it has been claimed that the Uzbek will hardly cost more than €20 million or €30m.

Last month, Lens sporting director Diego Lopez revealed that super agent Jorge Mendes had been given a 'mandate' to sell Khusanov, with the French club agreeing to this odd course of action due to their desire to raise funds.

“We decided to do it," Lopez said. "We put all the options on the table. We analysed a lot and decided with [CEO] Pierre [Dreossi] to sign a mandate. It came from an analysis of the internal market, the price of a transfer, and lots of other factors.”