What you need to know: New Man City signing Khusanov is 'built to defend'
With news Monday that Manchester City have confirmed the signing of Uzbekistan international defender Abdukodir Khusanov, ESPN’s Julien Laurens and Tor-Kristian Karlsen tell you what you need to know about the 19-year-old starlet heading to the English Premier League.
The Lens scout who travelled to the Under-20 Asian Cup in Uzbekistan in March 2023 went with one mission: to confirm the talent of 19-year-old Uzbekistan centre-back Abdukodir Khusanov. Through stats and research, Lens’ recruitment team had already identified Khusanov, who had been impressing in the Belarus top flight with Energetik-BGU Minsk, as a player to keep a close eye on. Believing he was one of the most promising defenders of his generation, the club needed to see him in action.
Lens didn’t have to wait long for an answer as his performance at the tournament, which was won by the host nation, confirmed it. He was arguably the best player on show and Lens were keen to sign him before he took part in the Under-20 FIFA World Cup two months later, as scouts from 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 measly €100,000 — it was still the biggest transfer fee Energetik-BGU had ever received — with the view that he could be moved on for a significant profit in the future. The idea was to give him some time to adapt to Ligue 1, play in the Champions League a bit, and develop his potential.
The club had a three-year plan to make Khusanov into one of the best centre-backs in France, but it took only 18 months. Called “Kodir” by his teammates, he made a few mistakes along the way, like his red card against Paris Saint-Germain in November. His ill discipline was something to note, with five yellow cards in 11 Ligue 1 games last season. But he has course-corrected since and has been much more focused this year (two yellows in 13.)
After missing out on €40m in transfer fees last summer when exits for Kevin Danso and Neil El Aynaoui collapsed, Lens needed to bring in funds to balance their books this January. Ideally, they wanted to keep Khusanov for another 18 months — even six additional months could have seen them bank more money — but the necessity to do the deal now was apparent and the club was always clear that he would not leave for less than €40m. In the end, they reached a deal for €48m, including add-ons related to performance.
One of the world’s top agents, Jorge Mendes, brokered the transfer and Manchester City moved quickly this month to bolster their ailing defence. For a player who was earning only €35,000 a week, a move to the Premier League — where he will be the first Uzbek to play in the league — is life-changing. — JL
Position
The 18-time Uzbekistan international has predominantly featured in the middle or to the left in Lens’ back three. On a few occasions he’s also played in a back-four partnership, but it’s evident that having two more experienced centre-backs alongside him (Danso, Jonathan Gradit or Facundo Medina) has helped his development. With slightly less space to defend, being “boxed in” and more protected in a back three, Khusanov can focus on his core responsibilities — i.e. defending — and leave the construction of play from defence to those more comfortable on the ball. — TK
Strengths
For those unacquainted with Khusanov’s style, his first warmup should give a few clues as to what he’s all about. His 6-foot-1 frame — compact, powerful with strong legs and broad shoulders — means that he is built to defend. A cool 2.35 interceptions per 90 minutes — putting him in the top 1% of Ligue 1 centre-backs — confirms what is evident just from watching him: He plays on the front foot, is proactive and looks to snuff out danger at the first opportunity.
He is quick, too — very quick. In December, a clip of him sprinting the length of the pitch (at 37 kmph) to chase down Reims winger Junya Ito went viral.
Khusanov is too fast! 😱💨@RCLens pic.twitter.com/JKlNsLnoRV
— Ligue 1 English (@Ligue1_ENG) December 8, 2024
Khusanov’s impressive game-reading skills and physical style of defending should make him well equipped to deal with the intensity of the Premier League, but there’s a flip-side to his eagerness to compete and tackle (73% successful per 90 minutes). It means he operates on small margins and his appetite for a last-ditch interception can cause unnecessary fouls.
Yet compared to his under-20 centre-back peers, his qualities as a one-on-one defender stand out. Khusanov is extremely tenacious and is happy to defend by whatever means needed: body, head, blocks — which is something of a dying art for young defenders. — TK
How he can improve
The most obvious area is his on-the-ball composure and distribution. Though Lens are one of the most possession-heavy sides in Ligue 1 (54% per game on average), Khusanov usually leaves the high-risk passing to his defensive colleagues and generally picks out his wing-back, who typically receives the ball with more space and less pressure out wide.
While a similar organisation of responsibilities will no doubt be the case at City too, it’ll be interesting to see how quickly he can improve his distribution to the point where he is confident enough to play in a side whose entire game plan is based on building from the back.
Khusanov is by no means a liability with the ball (his long passes are improving), but as Pep Guardiola tends to prefer “possession experts” as centre-backs, the arrival of a less-cultured defender does represent somewhat unchartered territory. Mind you, Ruben Dias was similar when he arrived and no one expected Guardiola to sign an out-and-out centre-forward to fit into his system, but Erling Haaland has worked out fine. — TK
In quotes
Lens boss Will Still told Yahoo Sports: “He’s calm, powerful, he’s fast. He doesn’t talk but he’s good. When I arrived, with the departure of ‘Kev’ [Danso] in sight, Jean-Louis Leca [Lens’ sports coordinator] told me: ‘Don’t worry, there’s ‘Kodir’ who is here, and he’s ready.’ He wasn’t wrong. He has very, very impressive potential.”
Who else were linked?
Rumours linking the defender away from Lens have persisted for months. Liverpool and Manchester United were said to be early admirers of Khusanov from the moment he made his Ligue 1 debut. But recently, Real Madrid, Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United have been mentioned, too. — TK
How will he fit 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 only 20 Ligue 1 starts to his name, it remains to be seen whether he has been signed as a future project or will be thrown into action straight away.
Given that his transfer cost €48m, it’s fair to assume that Khusanov will be getting some game time soon. And given City’s recent defensive woes, Guardiola could certainly do with a centre-back who thinks “defence first.”
With veteran right-back Kyle Walker set to depart this month, City’s need for a defender with sufficient speed to keep up in long-distance sprint duels — being caught in defensive transitions has been one of Guardiola’s chief concerns this season — is at the point of being precarious. So Khusanov’s pace should prove to be a valuable asset in that regard.
In terms of assimilation, Khusanov is learning English, though he is not the most talkative even in his own language. But his main challenge will be to learn how to play in a back four, which relies on being comfortable on the ball. — TK
