Manchester City have completed their deal for Uzbekistan defender Abdukodir Khusanov from Lens for an initial fee of €40million (£33.8m, $41.5m).
Our writers — experts in transfers, tactics, data and football finance — have come together to rate January’s senior Premier League transfers. This is a continuation of the project we launched last summer, but we have also made some significant tweaks to how we assess each deal.
Gone are the five scores out of 100, and in their place are 10 ratings out of 50. This should allow for much more nuance to be reflected in the analysis and, importantly, much more variability in the overall figure each transfer ends up with. Follow the link below for more background on the changes.
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Tactical fit — 31/50
Khusanov has impressed for Lens this season after starting just nine Ligue 1 games last season. His positional awareness means he seldom makes errors in or out of possession and his exceptional recovery pace allows him to thwart any danger that arises from his mistakes. He is versatile too, having played on the right of a back three and the left of a centre-back pairing at Lens.
Khusanov leads Ligue 1 in interceptions per 90 (2.4) among all centre-backs to have played at least 900 minutes this season. He is dominant in the air with an aerial duel success rate of 69 per cent. This will be useful to City, whose aerial duel success of 51 per cent is their lowest in any of the last four Premier League seasons.
(Adrian Dennis/AFP via Getty Images)
There is a calmness to how Khusanov operates, which City will need given the chaos that has unfolded at times due to Rodri’s absence and the swathes of space the defence has had to cover in transition. Simultaneously, if that issue persists, it might make for a tough learning curve for a player who is nearly 21 years old and who has fewer than 25 Ligue 1 appearances.
Khusanov’s ball progression is a work in progress. He does not mind the odd switch, but often chooses the safer pass, while he has rarely carried the ball forward. Both of these are important requisites for a City centre-back, so it might take some time before Khusanov is a starting-calibre player for the reigning Premier League champions.
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Injury record — 48/50
Per Transfermarkt, Khusanov does not have any recorded injuries, which is unsurprising given he is the infancy stage of his top-flight football career. He is just 20, though, and will be moving to a league and tactical set-up that will place unique demands on him, so City will need to introduce him to the physicality of the Premier League with care.
Market value — 27/50
City have demonstrated in this window that they are willing to invest in young players who will not only play a major role in a squad rebuild but who can also slot into the team straight away. It will be interesting to see how much playing time Khusanov gets between now and the end of the season.
Contract rationale – 40/50
Khusanov is a coveted young talent with plenty of potential for future growth. A five-and-a-half-year contract makes sense for both player and club.
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The raw potential of Abdukodir Khusanov signals the start of Manchester City’s rebuild
Recent form – 37/50
Khusanov has been one of Ligue 1’s standout defenders in 2024-25, helping Lens keep five clean sheets in the 11 matches he has started. He missed two games after picking up a red card in a 1-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in November, with Will Still’s team conceding five times and keeping no clean sheets in those matches.
Gap-filling – 28/50
City have dealt with injuries at different times to Ruben Dias, John Stones, Nathan Ake, and Manuel Akanji this season. Stones is out of contract next summer, while Akanji and Ake’s deals expire in the summer of 2027.
The need for a rebuild has never been more evident and Khusanov’s signing is one of the first steps in that direction. There are questions over whether he is ready to start immediately, though, and City might need him to if their injury crisis continues.
Excitement factor – 20/50
Khusanov will join an exciting crop of young defensive talent in City’s squad in Rico Lewis, Josko Gvardiol and Jahmai Simpson-Pusey, all of whom are 22 or younger. There will be a period of adaptation, but the prospect of Khusanov being City’s first-choice centre-back for the future is an interesting one. He also benefits from joining the club at the same time as several other players, as well as Erling Haaland renewing his contract for nine and a half years. It’s been an exciting month for City fans, after a gloomy stretch in 2024.
(Francois Nascimbeni/AFP via Getty Images)
Future-proofing – 45/50
City have signed Khusanov to a four-and-a-half-year deal, which should protect and potentially even increase his value should they choose to sell him in the near future.
Rival impact – 25/50
The Athletic reported that Khusanov attracted interest from Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur, and they will disappointed to miss out on a coveted young centre-back. City have conceded more goals than any team in the top six of the Premier League, who will all be interested to see if this signing can improve a porous back line.
Marketability – 14/50
While Khusanov is a signing City need, it is unlikely to move the needle too much in marketing terms despite him being their first-ever player from Uzbekistan. His unusual birthdate of February 29 — like former City player Ferran Torres — should make for some interesting content on social media, though.
Overall rating — 318/500
(Header photo: Getty Images)
