Man City rival Newcastle & Tottenham for Ligue 1 defender | OneFootball

Manchester City have reportedly entered the competitive race to snap up Lens centre-back Abdukodir Khusanov, vying with Premier League rivals Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur.

Khusanov is only 20 but has already racked up 18 senior caps for the Uzbekistan national team. The latest obscure talent snapped up by Lens' extensive scouting system, the right-footed defender moved to the French outfit in the summer of 2023.

After being eased into the setup under Franck Haise last term, Khusanov has become a fixture of Lens' backline since the highly rated English coach Will Still took over in the summer.

Comfortable in a back-three or a four-man rearguard, the Uzbek prodigy has attracted interest from a trio of English top-flight clubs. Reigning Premier League champions Manchester City have added Khusanov to their January wishlist according to Fabrizio Romano.

Abdukodir Khusanov has only been sidelined for two games through suspension this season / Jean Catuffe/GettyImages

City will have to compete with Newcastle and Tottenham to secure the 20-year-old's prised signature, as both Premier League clubs are thought to have begun discussions with Khusanov. As Romano signed off his report: "Race open."

While Newcastle have a settled centre-back partnership which is ageing, the defensive bodies at Spurs and City have been plagued by injury this season. Ange Postecoglou was forced to field a half-fit Radu Dragusin after a spate of absences left him without a single senior centre-back last month.

Pep Guardiola's out-of-sorts champions have been mired by so many fitness issues, the Catalan coach made a public plea for reinforcements in January. "I thought central defenders would be fit all season but we have struggled - holding midfield and central defenders we need help," City's boss bemoaned at the end of the year.

"The market is the market - it's not easy, it's expensive so we will see what the club can do."