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Who is Khusanov and how will he fit in at Man City?

By John Duerden 20 Jan 2025
Khusanov

Asia football expert John Duerden explains Abdukodir Khusanov's qualities and journey to the top

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As Abdukodir Khusanov arrives at Manchester City, football writer John Duerden analyses the 20-year-old centre-back's journey and where he might fit into Pep Guardiola's side.  

Abdukodir Khusanov’s father, Hikmat Hashimov, was an Uzbekistan international, though many don’t make the connection.

Hashimov gave Manchester City’s new defender his grandfather’s surname, Khusanov, to prevent accusations of nepotism or special favours. It turned out to be unnecessary.

The talent of the 20-year-old is undeniable, and fans in Uzbekistan will be watching their first-ever Premier League player with pride. 

Hashimov ended his career as a five-time champion for Uzbek side FC Bunyodkor where he now works and this is where his son started.

Khusanov played for various youth teams in the capital city, Tashkent. However, in March 2022, before he had even made his senior debut, he signed for Energetik-BGU Minsk in Belarus where his career really took off.

The rise of Khusanov 

Despite having just turned 18 and in a foreign country, Khusanov made a strong first impression in his very first training session in Minsk. "It was immediately visible," said then-Energetik coach Pavel Rodnenok.

"I was working with the defenders and he (Khusanov) started bombarding me with questions. ‘Why should I run here? Why should I turn around like this? Why should I move here?’

"I realised he wanted to understand everything about defending. He had an iron character."

Khusanov made his debut almost immediately and impressed to the extent that he was named in the league’s team of the season as he helped Energetik into second place, by some distance their highest-ever finish.

Performances for Uzbekistan’s youth teams also raised his international profile.

Khusanov for Uzbekistan in the 2023 AFC Asian Cup in Qatar

Khusanov starred in the AFC U-20 Asian Cup success in March 2023, when Uzbekistan conceded just one goal in six matches, and then impressed soon after at the U-20 World Cup as the Central Asians reached the knockout stages.

That summer, he made his debut for the national team and has been a regular ever since. Clubs overseas took notice.

"The whole year he was here at Energetik," said Rodnenok, "there were constant calls from Europe, from Asia, from Russia — from everywhere. They said, ‘tell me about this defender.’"

He did. "I told them that he is already the best defender in the Belarus league despite his age, and his potential is immense." 

Lens RC thought so, paying €100,000 (£83,000) in July 2023 to take him to northern France. He made 24 appearances in Ligue 1 and also featured in the UEFA Europa League and UEFA Champions League where he played against Arsenal in the group stages.

Khusanov v Havertz

"He’s calm, powerful, he’s fast," said Lens boss Will Still.

When Still arrived, he had to deal with the imminent departure of established centre-back Kevin Danso.

"Jean-Louis Leca [Lens’ sporting director] told me: ‘Don’t worry, Kodir is here and he’s ready.’ He wasn’t wrong. He has very, very impressive potential. Kodir is a tank. He’s impressive physically and athletically."

Even when Danso’s exit fell through, the Uzbek star kept his place in the team. Videos of his recovery runs went viral in France.

Khusanov's pace on the recovery

This was not a surprise for his friend and fellow Uzbekistan international Abbosbek Fayzullaev. 

"Khusanov can play in any top club," said the CSKA Moscow winger. "He has absolutely all the qualities: technique, strength, the first pass. And I will not even mention the speed - he is the fastest player in Uzbekistan.

"The speed is crazy. I am good at running short distances but Khusanov can quickly cover long distances due to his wide stride. We measured it - he runs somewhere around 35 kilometres per hour."

Style of play

There’s more to Khusanov's game than speed, as he showed at Lens. Under manager Still, Khusanov usually played in the middle of the three-man backline, staying deeper than the other two. Such responsibility was not an issue.

At the winter break in France, Lens were in seventh place in Ligue 1 but with the second-best defensive record, conceding just one more goal than leaders Paris Saint-Germain.

These are just some of the reasons why Pep Guardiola and a number of other Premier League managers became interested.

Khusanov’s aggression and ability in the air has drawn comparisons to another Man City defender, Ruben Dias. His pace and ability to sniff and snuff out dangerous attacks have been likened to Tottenham Hotspur’s Micky van de Ven.

At the U-20 Asian Cup, journalists remarked that his overall demeanour was similar to former Manchester United centre-back Nemanja Vidic. His former coach Rodnenok is reluctant to use specific examples, however. 

"He has a unique playing style," he said. "I cannot even find similar players. If others have one outstanding quality, then he has a combination of all these qualities, and at a high level. He is not like anyone else."

Looking ahead

Man City fans will be keen to see how he fits in at the champions, especially with their uncharacteristic problems at the back this season. Dias and John Stones have had injury issues, which could give the new signing a quick taste of first-team football.

He is sure to see more of the ball for his new team than for his old but his composure and experience playing in midfield, where he started out for Uzbekistan's national team, will stand him in good stead.

Like any young player who arrives from a different league, it may take time for Khusanov to adapt to English football and his new club.

Lens manager Still and some of Khusanov's team-mates have mentioned a lack of communication on the pitch - likely down to the language barrier, as there are no such issues when he plays for Uzbekistan and also during his time in Belarus - and fans may have to be a little patient.

At just 20, there is a long career ahead. Khusanov does not need to be an instant hit. 

Yet the new signing has already demonstrated a habit of grasping opportunities when they are presented.

"I am sure that Khusanov is ready as a player and mentally ready for the Premier League despite his young age," Energetik coach Alexey Merkulov said.

"Everyone at Energetik is very proud of him joining Man City."

His father, and the whole of Uzbekistan could say the same.

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