Manchester City have announced the first of their expected winter transfer window signings with the capture of Abdudokir Khusanov.
Khusanov, 20, arrives from French club RC Lens and has signed a four-and-a-half-year deal which will keep him at the Etihad Stadium until summer 2029.
The Uzbekistan international, who has 18 international caps, becomes the first player from his country to play in the Premier League.
The central defender will wear the number 45 shirt for City after completing his dream move to England having begun his career in Belarus for Energetik-BGU before sealing a move to Ligue 1 in France in 2023 where he made 31 appearances for RC Lens having arrived for the paltry fee of 100,000 Euros.
City are reported to have sealed a deal for £33.6m plus add-ons which represents a huge profit for Lens.
Khusanov is known for his brave defensive contributions and robust interventions in one-on-one duels similar to talismanic City defender Ruben Dias.
He is also noted for his pace which may also come in handy if Kyle Walker departs in this window as the veteran England right back prepares for a move to Europe with AC Milan rumoured to be favourites for his signature.
Khusanov said: “I’m absolutely delighted to be joining Manchester City, a club that I have enjoyed watching for a long time.
“This squad is full 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 greatest coaches ever and I am so excited to learn from him and improve my game even more.
“This is a very proud moment for me and my family to be joining a great Club like Manchester City and I’m more than ready for this challenge.”
Director of Football Txiki Begiristain added: “We are very happy that he has joined us and we are all very excited about what he will bring.
“For such a young defender, Abdukodir is already very intelligent, as well as being strong, aggressive and extremely quick.
“Working with Pep will only make him better and, speaking to him, he is determined to keep improving.
“He is a really exciting signing as we aim to keep progressing to maintain one of the best squads in Europe.”