Manchester City have secured the services of Uzbekistan central defender Abdukodir Khusanov from Ligue 1 club Lens, the Premier League side confirmed on Monday.
The 20-year-old joins on a four-and-a-half-year deal, with British media reporting a transfer fee of €40 million ($41.56 million).
Khusanov has been a key figure for Lens this season, featuring in 13 of their 16 Ligue 1 matches.
His impressive performances have earned him a move to Pep Guardiola’s squad, further bolstering City’s defensive options as they continue their pursuit of success in domestic and European competitions.
“For such a young defender, Abdukodir is already very intelligent, as well as being strong, aggressive and extremely quick,” City said in a statement.
The centre-back is the Premier League’s first player from Uzbekistan.
Khusanov joined Lens from Belarusian side Energetik-BGU Minsk in 2023, playing 31 matches for the French team in all competitions.
The young defender is expected to bring versatility and dynamism to City’s backline as he continues to develop under Guardiola’s guidance.