Plans are taking shape for Lens defender Abdukodir Khusanov to undergo Manchester City's medical tests on Friday ahead of his proposed £33.75m (€40m) transfer, including bonuses. All relevant paperwork has now been exchanged and signed by both clubs, but the 20-year-old Uzbek international is awaiting approval of his work permit before he can formally complete his lucrative move to the Etihad, which he has now finally received. Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid had also shown cautious interest in the player but decided against a move for Khusanov, who set his sights on joining City after it emerged Pep Guardiola had personally approved his arrival. Khusanov was ill last week and did not train with his Lens teammates, completing gym work instead, but now he is ready to formally complete a dream switch to the Premier League, less than two years after moving from Belarusian team to Ligue 1 had moved. Energetik-BUG for just £83,000 (€100,000) in July 2023.
Meanwhile, City are closing in on a major, big-money deal for star striker Omar Marmoush, a welcome boost for Guardiola after the disappointing 2-2 draw with Brentford in midweek.
City's sporting director Txiki Begiristain opened talks with Eintracht Frankfurt last week and new talks took place between the parties on Monday, when the top champions are said to have made their first formal proposal.
German sources suggest it was worth somewhere between £55 million (€65 million) and £59 million (€70 million) including add-ons, slightly below Frankfurt's valuation of £67.5 million (€80 million) stayed. Eintracht board spokesman Axel Hellmann is said to play a key role in the transfer negotiations.
City are believed to be hopeful of making a breakthrough within 48 hours, ahead of the league match between Frankfurt and Borussia Dortmund on Friday evening. Eintracht is targeting a base fee of £59 million (€70 million) and expects the remainder of the package to consist of realistic performance-related add-ons.
Meanwhile, 25-year-old striker Marmoush has continued to excel on the pitch as the discussions continued in the background and he has not let the speculation affect his form.
After scoring the winner in Saturday's 1-0 win at St. Pauli, Marmoush scored another goal and also registered two assists as the Bundesliga defeated Freiburg 4-1 on Tuesday evening. Eintracht sporting director Markus Krosche, who was also at the center of the talks with City, has since stated that there is no reason why Marmoush will not continue playing, with no deal having been agreed with City in the meantime. He said: “I have already said that there is interest from a club, and there is nothing more to say at the moment. There is no other situation. Everything that the future brings will be seen in the coming days. And as long as Because he is a player from Eintracht Frankfurt and performs well, he will play.” Palmeiras centre-back Vitor Reis will also undergo a medical in England ahead of a permanent £29.4million transfer. He flies to Great Britain on Wednesday. Several proposals were rejected at Brighton for the 19-year-old, who was also pursued by Arsenal and Real Madrid.
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