With information Monday that Manchester Metropolis have confirmed the signing of Uzbekistan worldwide defender Abdukodir Khusanov, ESPN’s Julien Laurens and Tor-Kristian Karlsen inform you what it is advisable to know concerning the 19-year-old starlet heading to the English Premier League.
The Lens scout who travelled to the Below-20 Asian Cup in Uzbekistan in March 2023 went with one mission: to verify the expertise of 19-year-old Uzbekistan centre-back Abdukodir Khusanov. Via stats and analysis, Lens’ recruitment staff had already recognized Khusanov, who had been impressing within the Belarus prime flight with Energetik-BGU Minsk, as a participant to maintain an in depth eye on. Believing he was one of the vital promising defenders of his technology, the membership wanted to see him in motion.
Lens did not have to attend lengthy for a solution as his efficiency on the match, which was gained by the host nation, confirmed it. He was arguably the very best participant on present and Lens had been eager to signal him earlier than he took half within the Below-20 FIFA World Cup two months later, as scouts from larger golf equipment can be there and would absolutely discover him.
Lens needed to wait till July to get their man, securing the switch for a measly €100,000 — it was nonetheless the most important switch price Energetik-BGU had ever acquired — with the view that he could possibly be moved on for a big revenue sooner or later. The thought was to present him a while to adapt to Ligue 1, play within the Champions League a bit, and develop his potential.
The membership had a three-year plan to make Khusanov into among the finest centre-backs in France, nevertheless it took solely 18 months. Referred to as “Kodir” by his teammates, he made a number of errors alongside the best way, like his pink card in opposition to Paris Saint-Germain in November. His in poor health self-discipline was one thing to notice, with 5 yellow playing cards in 11 Ligue 1 video games final season. However he has course-corrected since and has been far more centered this yr (two yellows in 13.)
After lacking out on €40m in switch charges final summer time when exits for Kevin Danso and Neil El Aynaoui collapsed, Lens wanted to usher in funds to steadiness their books this January. Ideally, they needed to maintain Khusanov for an additional 18 months — even six extra months might have seen them financial institution extra money — however the necessity to do the deal now was obvious and the membership was at all times clear that he wouldn’t go away for lower than €40m. In the long run, they reached a deal for €48m, together with add-ons associated to efficiency.
One of many world’s prime brokers, Jorge Mendes, brokered the switch and Manchester Metropolis moved rapidly this month to bolster their ailing defence. For a participant who was incomes solely €35,000 per week, a transfer to the Premier League — the place he would be the first Uzbek to play within the league — is life-changing. — JL
Place
The 18-time Uzbekistan worldwide has predominantly featured within the center or to the left in Lens’ again three. On a number of events he is additionally performed in a back-four partnership, nevertheless it’s evident that having two extra skilled centre-backs alongside him (Danso, Jonathan Gradit or Facundo Medina) has helped his improvement. With barely much less area to defend, being “boxed in” and extra protected in a again three, Khusanov can concentrate on his core tasks — i.e. defending — and go away the development of play from defence to these extra comfy on the ball. — TK
Strengths
For these unacquainted with Khusanov’s fashion, his first warmup ought to give a number of clues as to what he is all about. His 6-foot-1 body — compact, highly effective with sturdy legs and broad shoulders — means that he’s constructed to defend. A cool 2.35 interceptions per 90 minutes — placing him within the prime 1% of Ligue 1 centre-backs — confirms what is obvious simply from watching him: He performs on the entrance foot, is proactive and appears to snuff out hazard on the first alternative.
He’s fast, too — very fast. In December, a clip of him sprinting the length of the pitch (at 37 kmph) to chase down Reims winger Junya Ito went viral.
Khusanov is just too quick! 😱💨@RCLens pic.twitter.com/JKlNsLnoRV
— Ligue 1 English (@Ligue1_ENG) December 8, 2024
Khusanov’s spectacular game-reading abilities and bodily fashion of defending ought to make him effectively geared up to take care of the depth of the Premier League, however there is a flip-side to his eagerness to compete and deal with (73% profitable per 90 minutes). It means he operates on small margins and his urge for food for a last-ditch interception could cause pointless fouls.
But in comparison with his under-20 centre-back friends, his qualities as a one-on-one defender stand out. Khusanov is extraordinarily tenacious and is comfortable to defend by no matter means wanted: physique, head, blocks — which is one thing of a dying artwork for younger defenders. — TK
How he can enhance
The obvious space is his on-the-ball composure and distribution. Although Lens are one of the vital possession-heavy sides in Ligue 1 (54% per recreation on common), Khusanov normally leaves the high-risk passing to his defensive colleagues and customarily picks out his wing-back, who sometimes receives the ball with extra space and fewer stress out large.
Whereas an identical organisation of tasks will little doubt be the case at Metropolis too, it’s going to be attention-grabbing to see how rapidly he can enhance his distribution to the purpose the place he’s assured sufficient to play in a facet whose total recreation plan relies on constructing from the again.
Khusanov is certainly not a legal responsibility with the ball (his lengthy passes are enhancing), however as Pep Guardiola tends to favor “possession consultants” as centre-backs, the arrival of a less-cultured defender does symbolize considerably unchartered territory. Thoughts you, Ruben Dias was related when he arrived and nobody anticipated Guardiola to signal an out-and-out centre-forward to suit into his system, however Erling Haaland has labored out fantastic. — TK
In quotes
Lens boss Will Nonetheless informed Yahoo Sports: “He is calm, highly effective, he is quick. He would not speak however he is good. After I arrived, with the departure of ‘Kev’ [Danso] in sight, Jean-Louis Leca [Lens’ sports coordinator] informed me: ‘Don’t fret, there’s ‘Kodir’ who’s right here, and he is prepared.’ He wasn’t fallacious. He has very, very spectacular potential.”
Who else had been linked?
Rumours linking the defender away from Lens have endured for months. Liverpool and Manchester United had been mentioned to be early admirers of Khusanov from the second he made his Ligue 1 debut. However not too long ago, Actual Madrid, Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United have been talked about, too. — TK
How will he match at Manchester Metropolis?
Khusanov’s meteoric rise proves that prime expertise could be discovered wherever. His calm, level-headed persona has served him effectively, however with solely 20 Ligue 1 begins to his identify, it stays to be seen whether or not he has been signed as a future challenge or will probably be thrown into motion immediately.
On condition that his switch price €48m, it is honest to imagine that Khusanov will probably be getting some recreation time quickly. And given Metropolis’s current defensive woes, Guardiola might definitely do with a centre-back who thinks “defence first.”
With veteran right-back Kyle Walker set to depart this month, Metropolis’s want for a defender with adequate pace to maintain up in long-distance dash duels — being caught in defensive transitions has been one in every of Guardiola’s chief issues this season — is on the level of being precarious. So Khusanov’s tempo ought to show to be a beneficial asset in that regard.
By way of assimilation, Khusanov is studying English, although he’s not essentially the most talkative even in his personal language. However his predominant problem will probably be to discover ways to play in a again 4, which depends on being comfy on the ball. — TK