Zizo #14 of Team Egypt is challenged by Abdukodir Khusanov #3 of Team Uzbekistan (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)
Lens faced off against Paris Saint-Germain on Saturday, with the hosts taking an early lead via Mbala Nzola, only for Fabián Ruiz to draw level for PSG. The two sides looked headed for a stalemate until the 86th minute, when Bradley Barcola fired in the decisive winner for PSG.
Lens manager Will Still went with a full-strength XI to play PSG, who are on track to win their fourth consecutive Ligue 1 title. However, there was one conspicuous absence in Lens’ matchday squad: Abdukodir Khusanov. There was simply too much money on the line to risk him – €40 million to be exact.
Humble Beginnings in Uzbekistan
Born in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Khusanov developed at Bunyodkor’s academy before joining Belarussian side Energetik-BGU in March 2022. He excelled in Minsk, scoring 4 goals and 4 assists in 37 appearances, being voted into the Team of the Season, and earning a maiden call-up to the Uzbekistan senior team in June 2023. And in July 2023, Khusanov joined French side Lens on a four-year contract. Over the next year, Khusanov would become the first Uzbek to play in Ligue 1, the youngest Uzbek to play in the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa League, and he also thrived for Uzbekistan in the AFC Asian Cup and the Summer Olympics.
“Khusanov was discovered by Energetik-BGU at a U16 tournament played between Uzbekistan, Belarus and a few other former Soviet nations,” said Uzbek football expert Conor Bowers to RG.
Khusanov started the 2024/25 season as a rotation player, with Kevin Danso, Facundo Medina and Jonathan Gradit being the preferred central defensive trio. But just when Danso looked set to join Roma in the final days of the window for €25 million, the cardiologist spotted a minor, harmless scarring on his heart during the medicals. Danso spent the next few weeks recovering from a medical procedure, during which time Khusanov inserted himself into the starting line-up and quickly established himself as an indispensable figure in the backline.
Establishing Himself in Ligue 1
Having managed just 15 appearances for Lens in 2023/24 – five of those coming off the bench – Khusanov has already been able to register 16 appearances this season, starting in 13 of them. Whilst he has mainly played in the middle of a back three, he’s also operated on the right side of defense and has even featured in a back four as well. Standing 6’1”, Khusanov may not be the tallest center back, but he’s been able to compensate with other attributes, like his ability to progress the ball forward with his mazy runs and incisive passes: he’s completing 2.7 long balls per match, the third-highest tally in Lens’ squad.
“Khusanov had already shown that he was an interesting center back in the 2023 U-20 FIFA World Cup, but anyone who saw his Ligue 1 debut vs. Metz would have noticed that he was a player who was very aggressive in the tackle, who had an extraordinary pace, and who never hid from big moments,” said AS’ Ligue 1 correspondent Andrés Onrubia Ramos.
“Thanks to his performances and forcefulness, he’s someone who hasn’t needed a lot of time to adapt, he never gives away any duels and is capable of quickly correcting his positioning and getting back to where he needs to be.”
Khusanov likes to get forward and combine with teammates in advanced areas, and he has the pace to get back in time and recover in case his team cough up possession. He’s emerged as one of the first names on Lens’ team sheet thanks to his abilities on and off the ball, capable of holding his own in physical duels and putting in vital interventions to stop a goal, ranking second in Lens’ squad with 4.3 clearances per 90. What’s more, he compensates for his lack of height with a stellar anticipation, constantly scanning his surroundings and snuffing out danger at a moment’s notice. Boasting 2.0 interceptions per 90, only two players in France’s top-flight have registered more: Auxerre’s Gideon Mensah (2.2) and Brest’s Julien Le Cardinal (2.7).
Khusanov’s stellar displays would see him voted by fans into the Team of the First Half of the 2024/25 Ligue 1 season, slotting into defense alongside PSG’s Nuno Mendes, Achraf Hakimi and Willian Pacho. His best performance in a Lens shirt, coincidentally, was his last: going up against PSG in the Coupe de France on December 22, Khusanov made six clearances, two tackles, won five out of two ground duels and even opened the scoring in a 1-1 draw: PSG would go on to prevail 4-3 on penalties.
Earning a Big-Money Transfer
The following weeks would see Khusanov linked with a bevy of English clubs like Newcastle, Tottenham, and Wolves, prompting Lens to leave him out of their last three matchday squads as they negotiated a transfer. Ultimately, though, it was Manchester City who won the race, announcing his signing on Monday and tying him down to a 4.5-year deal. 18 months after joining Lens for €100,000, Khusanov joined City for €40 million plus bonuses. He is the first Uzbek to sign for a Premier League team, and he’ll be looking to provide an added boost in quality to a City team that has endured a brutal winter in terms of results.
Having won each of the last four Premier League championships, City currently sit fourth in the table and 12 points behind league leaders Liverpool, who have a game in hand. It has been the worst run of form in Pep Guardiola’s entire managerial career, with just five wins from their last 18 matches, and one reason has been an injury crisis that has left their defensive spine short-handed. With Nathan Aké and John Stones both on the treatment table, and with Kyle Walker on the verge of joining Milan, Khusanov may very well be thrown into the deep end and immediately given a chance to showcase his talents.
At 20 years of age, Khusanov has already proven himself with Energetik-BGU, Lens, and the Uzbek national team, and now, he has the chance to take the next step and ply his trade under one of the greatest managers in football history and make a name for himself at the Etihad.
Zach Lowy
