The first player from Uzbekistan to sign for a Premier League club is set to undergo a medical.
Image credit: City HQ
Manchester City have reached an agreement with Lens for a £33.6m deal to sign central defender Abdukodir Khusanov.
According to reports from BBC, The 25-year-old Uzbekistan international will undergo a medical before the transfer is finalized.
City manager Pep Guardiola has been focused on strengthening his squad after a difficult start to the season, with the team sitting sixth in the Premier League, 12 points behind leaders Liverpool.
The club has also been in talks with Brazilian side Palmeiras for 18-year-old defender Vitor Reis and is reportedly interested in Eintracht Frankfurt’s Omar Marmoush.
Khusanov’s move will make him the first player from Uzbekistan to join a Premier League club.
He has impressed at Lens, making 13 appearances in Ligue 1 this season, and scoring his first goal for the club in a French Cup match against Paris Saint-Germain.
His transfer marks City’s first major signing of the January window since Aymeric Laporte’s arrival in 2018.
Guardiola’s push for new players comes as the team deals with a series of injuries to key defenders, including Ruben Dias, John Stones, and Nathan Ake.