Deborah Akinyosoye
Manchester City on Monday announced the signing of Uzbekistan centre-back Abdukodir Khusanov from French club Lens for a reported fee of 40 million euros ($42 million) plus add-ons.
Khusanov, the first player from Uzbekistan to join a Premier League club, has signed a four-and-a-half-year deal at the Etihad.
“This squad is full of the best players in the world and I can’t wait to meet them and play alongside them,” said the 20-year-old, who has 18 international caps.
“And of course Pep Guardiola is one of the greatest coaches ever and I am so excited to learn from him and improve my game even more.”
City’s director of football Txiki Begiristain said: “For such a young defender, Abdukodir is already very intelligent, as well as being strong, aggressive and extremely quick.
“Working with Pep will only make him better and, speaking to him, he is determined to keep improving.”
Khusanov’s deal keeps him at the Etihad until the end of the 2028/29 season.
Premier League champions City are fourth in the table after a 6-0 win at Ipswich on Sunday.
The signing gives Guardiola’s team much-needed defensive reinforcement after an injury-hit season.