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Manchester City have agreed a €40m (£33.6m) deal to sign Lens centre-back Abdukodir Khusanov, although it is not expected to be the end of their mid-season stay.
Khusanov, a 20-year-old Uzbekistan international who joined Lens 18 months ago for a paltry fee of just €100,000 (£84,000). Attracted interest from Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur this month. The 6’1 right-footer skirted the fringes of the French club’s first-team squad last season after making the remarkable leap from Belarusian outfit Energetic-BGU Minsk in 2023.
Now an established cog in the center of Will Still’s defensive rearguard, Khusanov is set to sign a four-and-a-half-year deal at Manchester City, according to The Athletic.
The arrival of a raw centre-back is the first step in what promises to be a busy January window. Pep GuardiolaNo is an out-of-sorts champion.
City are “close” to completing a deal for Eintracht Frankfurt forward Omar Marmoush. Fabrizio Romano reports. A move for the former Liverpool target appears to have stalled after the Bundesliga club set up A steep €80m (£67m) asking price. However, City agreed personal terms with Marmoush and are now “making rapid progress” in discussions with the club around a suitable fee.
An official announcement could be made next week.
Roma claims that Guardiola sees Marmash as “the perfect player to replace Julian Alvarez”. Argentina’s World Cup winner was sold Atlético Madrid For a sum in the region of £81.5m in the summer. Aging attacking midfielder Ilkay Gundogan was the only player to arrive at the Etihad in the summer window who shared similar characteristics to Alvarez.
Without another attacking outlet, the burden of goalscoring has fallen on the broad shoulders of Erling Haaland. The city’s prolific number nine has an impressive 16 Premier League goals this season, but left-back Josco Guardiola is the club’s second top scorer with just four. Mateo Kovacic (three) is the only player to have scored more than a pair of top-flight goals this term.
Marmoush scored 13 goals in his first 15 Bundesliga Matches – Only beaten by Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane this term.
Also in the city Advanced Discussions Guardiola’s side have turned to the transfer market with Palmeiras centre-back Vitor Reis in a desperate bid to salvage a season that currently sees Thame sixth in the Premier League table.
