With news on Monday that Manchester City have confirmed the signing of the Uzbek international defender. Abdukodir KhusanovESPN’s Julien Laurens and Tor-Kristian Karlsen tell you what you need to know about the 19-year-old starlet on his way to the English Premier League.
The Lens recruiter who went to the Under-20 Asian Cup in Uzbekistan in March 2023 had only one mission: to confirm the talent of the 19-year-old Uzbek central defender. Abdukodir Khusanov. Through statistics and research, Lens’ recruitment team had already identified Khusanov, who had impressed in the Belarusian top flight with Energetik-BGU Minsk, as a player to watch closely. Believing he was one of the most promising defenders of his generation, the club needed to see him in action.
Lens did not have to wait long for an answer as their performance during the tournament, won by the host country, confirmed it. He was arguably the best player there and Lens were keen to sign him before they took part in the FIFA Under-20 World Cup two months later, as scouts from the bigger clubs would be there and would surely notice him.
Lens had to wait until July to get their man, securing the transfer for a whopping €100,000 — it was still the biggest transfer fee Energetik-BGU had ever received — with the idea that it could be transferred for significant profit in the future. The idea was to give him time to adapt to Ligue 1, play a little in the Champions League and develop his potential.
The club had a three-year plan to turn Khusanov into one of France’s best central defenders, but it only took 18 months. Nicknamed “Kodir” by his teammates, he made a few mistakes along the way, such as his red card against Paris Saint-Germain in November. His poor discipline is noteworthy, with five yellow cards in 11 Ligue 1 matches last season. But he has since corrected his course and has been much more focused this year (two yellows in 13.)
After missing out on a 40 million euro transfer fee last summer upon the release of Kevin Danso And Neil El Aynaoui collapsed, Lens needed to raise funds to balance its accounts in January. Ideally, they wanted to keep Khusanov for another 18 months – even another six months could have allowed them to accumulate more money – but the need to do the deal now was obvious and the club have always been clear on the fact that he would not leave for less than 18 months. 40 million euros. In the end, they reached an agreement for 48 million euros, including performance-related add-ons.
One of the world’s top agents, Jorge Mendes, negotiated the transfer and Manchester City moved quickly this month to bolster their struggling defense. For a player who only earned 35,000 euros per week, joining the Premier League – where he will be the first Uzbek to play in the league – is life-changing. — J.L.
Position
The 18-time Uzbek international has mainly featured in the middle or left in Lens’ back three. On a few occasions he has also played as a back four, but it is obvious that having two more experienced central defenders alongside him (Danso, Jonathan Gradet Or Medina of Facundo) contributed to its development. With a little less space to defend, being “framed” and more protected in a defensive trio, Khusanov can focus on his main responsibilities – i.e. defending – and let the defense build the play to those who are more comfortable with the ball. — traditional knowledge
Highlights
For those unfamiliar with Khusanov’s style, his first warm-up should give some clues as to what he’s doing. His 6-foot-1 frame – compact, powerful with strong legs and broad shoulders – means he’s built to defend. A good rate of 2.35 interceptions per 90 minutes – which places him in the top 1% of Ligue 1 central defenders – confirms what is clear just by looking at him: he plays up front, is proactive and seeks to extinguish the danger at the first opportunity.
He’s fast too – very fast. In December, a clip of him sprinting the length of the field (at 37 km/h) to track down Reims winger Junya Ito has gone viral.
Khusanov is too fast! 😱💨@RCLens pic.twitter.com/JKlNsLnoRV
– English Ligue 1 (@Ligue1_ENG) December 8, 2024
Khusanov’s impressive game-reading abilities and physical style of defending should make him well-equipped to deal with the intensity of the Premier League, but there is a flip side to his desire to compete and tackle (73 % success every 90 minutes). This means he operates on small margins and his appetite for a last-minute interception can cause unnecessary fouls.
Yet, compared to his central defender peers under the age of 20, his one-on-one defending qualities stand out. Khusanov is extremely tenacious and is happy to defend by any means necessary: body, head, blocks – which is something of a dying art for young defenders. — traditional knowledge
How he can improve
The most obvious area is his composure and distribution. Although Lens is one of the teams in Ligue 1 with the most possession (54% per game on average), Khusanov generally leaves high-risk passes to his defensive colleagues and generally chooses his winger, who usually receives the ball with more space and less pressure outside.
While a similar arrangement of responsibilities will undoubtedly be the case at City as well, it will be interesting to see how quickly he can improve his distribution to the point where he is confident enough to play in a team whose entire game plan is based on building from the rear.
Khusanov is by no means a liability on the ball (his long passes are improving), but as Pep Guardiola tends to prefer “possession experts” at center back, the arrival of a less cultured defender represents a somewhat unknown territory. Mind you, Ruben Dias was similar when he arrived and no one expected Guardiola to sign a real center forward to fit into his system, but Erling Haaland it worked well. — traditional knowledge
In quotes
Lens boss Will Still said so Yahoo Sports: “He is calm, powerful, he is fast. He doesn’t speak but he is good. When I arrived, with the departure of ‘Kev’ (Danso) in sight, Jean-Louis Leca (sports coordinator of Lens) told me said: ‘Don’t worry, there’s ‘Kodir’ there, and he’s not wrong. He has very, very impressive potential.
Who else was related?
Rumors linking the defender to Lens have persisted for months. Liverpool and Manchester United were reportedly Khusanov’s first admirers from his Ligue 1 debut. But recently, Real Madrid, Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United have also been mentioned. — traditional knowledge
How will he fit in at Manchester City?
Khusanov’s meteoric rise proves that top talent can be found anywhere. His calm, level-headed personality has served him well, but with just 20 Ligue 1 starts under his belt, it remains to be seen whether he has been signed as a future project or will be thrust into action straight away.
Given that his transfer cost €48 million, it’s fair to assume that Khusanov will get some playing time soon. And given City’s recent defensive woes, Guardiola would certainly need a centre-back who thinks “the defense first.”
With veteran right-back Kyle Walker Set to leave this month, City’s need for a defender quick enough to keep pace in long-distance sprint duels – getting caught in defensive transitions has been one of Guardiola’s main concerns this season – is on the verge of being insecure. Khusanov’s pace should therefore prove to be a valuable asset in this regard.
In terms of assimilation, Khusanov is learning English, although he is not the most talkative, even in his own language. But his main challenge will be learning to play in a back four, which requires being comfortable with the ball. — traditional knowledge
