Manchester City have made their first signing of the January transfer window, welcoming highly-rated Lens defender Abdukodir Khusanov to the Etihad Stadium on Monday.
Khusanov, who has made 13 Ligue 1 appearances this season, joins the Premier League champions on a four-and-a-half-year contract for a reported fee of £33.5million.
The 20-year-old became the first player from Uzbekistan to sign for a Premier League club after being capped 18 times by his country since making his debut in June 2023.
Khusanov's arrival provides Guardiola with a much-needed boost to his defensive ranks, with the likes of Ruben Dias and John Stones missing parts of the season due to injury.
During his Ligue 1 appearances for Will Still's side this season, no player has made more interceptions for Lens than Khusanov (26), with his move to City marking another step in his promising career.
Lens reportedly paid just £84,000 for Khusanov from Belarusian club Energetik-BGU 18 months ago.
We are pleased to announce the signing of Abdukodir Khusanov pic.twitter.com/ltXMbzm3TK
— Manchester City (@ManCity) January 20, 2025
The defender's debut will take the number of countries represented in the competition since its rebranding in 1992 to 126, with Uzbekistan becoming the 19th with just one player.
“I am absolutely delighted to join Manchester City, a club that I have enjoyed watching for a long time,” said Khusanov.
“This squad is made up of the best players in the world and I can't wait to meet them and play alongside them.
“And of course Pep Guardiola is one of the best coaches ever, and I'm so excited to learn from him and improve my game even further.
“This is a very proud moment for me and my family to join a great club like Manchester City, and I am more than ready for this challenge.”