Market value 12 million euros
©Imago
Manchester City’s slump towards the end of 2024 was unprecedented during Pep Guardiola’s trophy-winning reign at the Etihad. Without Rodri, the cornerstone of their midfield, they have endured an eight-game winless run and will need a miracle to return to title contention this season and aim for a fifth consecutive Premier League title. In the January transfer window this year, the club looks ready to make a move. According to reports, they are close to signing Frankfurt forward Omar Marmouche for around 60 million euros, while they are reportedly close to signing 18-year-old Brazilian defender Vitor Reis for around 40 million euros. There is. However, there is one little-known star who was confirmed as Manchester City’s new signing in January this year.
On Monday, Man City signed 20-year-old central defender Abdukkodir Kusanov from Ligue 1 side Lens for 40 million euros. He has signed a four-and-a-half year contract with the Sky Blues, and Manchester City’s Kusanov said in a club statement: “I am really happy to be joining Manchester City, a club that I have watched and enjoyed for a long time. ” he said. We have a lot of the best players in the world and I can’t wait to meet them and play with them. ” So why did the Sky Blues sign the Uzbekistan international in January this year and what will he bring to the Etihad? With insights from French experts, we analyze just that.
What will Abdukkodir Kusanov bring to Manchester City?
Ronan Kalov is an area manager at Transfermarkt in France and has been following Kusanov’s career at Lens closely. He elaborated on the type of centre-half the young man is: “Appearanceally, Kusanov is a very physical centre-back both on paper (186cm, 84kg) and on the pitch, often forcing himself into close one-on-one battles. However, he is – Has good quality of intercepts and passes, has enough speed for a centre-back and has more variety.” Kusanov has played 31 times in all competitions for Lens, during which time the team has won 12. Achieved a clean sheet. When Lens signed Kusanov in the summer of 2023, aged 19, they described him as “a kind of defensive dragster, agile and quick-moving despite his sturdiness.”
At just 20 years old, Kusanov has already won 18 caps for his native Uzbekistan, and the future looks bright for the young defender. “It is still difficult to clearly assess his limits, as he went from coming off the bench in his first year in Western Europe (16 games, 1051 minutes) to becoming one of the most sought-after defenders in the world within a few months. “Because it became,” Kalov explained. “The Lens manager was planning on promoting him anyway this season, but if Danso had left for Roma in the summer (with a medical diagnosis) it would have been a clearer path. So the club… We should have put our faith in a young talent to take his place.” The shoe, one of the hallmarks of their recent season, is proof of the potential Lens saw in Kusanov. ”
A number of Europe’s top clubs, including Real Madrid and Newcastle, were previously reported to be interested in the defender, but now Man City have brought him to the Premier League. This means Guardiola has further expanded his role as the manager who has spent the most money on defenders since he took over at Man City in 2016. The Spaniard has spent 633.3 million euros on defenders alone during that period. Kusanov’s current market value is 12 million euros, but it is expected to rise significantly in the future. Asked if he thought Kusanov would be a good fit for Guardiola’s team and the Premier League, Kalov said: “The transition from Ligue 1 to the Premier League is a big challenge for these players because they can withstand the physical nature of English football.” I often worry about whether or not I will be able to survive.”
“However, as we have previously presented, this aspect should not be a problem for Kusanov. The bigger concern is that he has only had one and a half seasons in Reims to get used to a higher level of European football, so he is not interested in this league. It could be about adaptation. Besides, the Premier League will go one step further and Man City’s defense. Despite his high transfer fee, it remains to be seen how quickly he will become a regular part of the team, ahead of the likes of Ruben Dias and Manuel Akanji. It will undoubtedly be difficult to break into the squad, but Kusanov could have given the Sky Blues a true star of the future.
