PROILE | Abdukodir Khusanov – Lens’ ‘monster’ on Manchester Ciy and Tottenham’s shopping list | OneFootball

The departure of Kevin Danso has been feared for months at Lens. Arguably the most consistent defender in Ligue 1 over the course of the two preceding seasons, the Austrian had an air of the irreplaceable. The emergence of Abdukodir Khusanov, signed for a nominal fee of just €100,000 from Belarussian side Energetik-BUG just a year earlier, alleviated those concerns somewhat. The Uzbekistan international played a nominal role last season (18 appearances) but provided assurances whenever he did feature.

When the time came to sell Danso in the summer, there was no talk of a replacement being signed. There was a clear internal solution, even if Khusanov’s style does not completely match that of his Austrian teammate. When Danso’s move to AS Roma broke down at the last moment due to a failed medical, it was assumed that this would his continued presence at the club would come to the detriment of the emerging Khusanov, who had only just established himself as a starter in Will Still’s side. Not so. In his short time in the line-up, Khusanov became undroppable, even with Danso returning to the fold in October. Concessions have even been made to incorporate the Uzbekistan centre-back with Facundo Medina either pushed further up into the midfield or out wide at left-back in order to allow Khusanov’s continued presence.

Still ‘amazed’ by Khusanov

Brice Samba has described Khusanov as a “monster” with Still going on to laud the defender’s abilities. “He is calm, powerful, he is quick. It’s Kodir! He doesn’t speak a lot but he is good. At the start, it amazed me to see his strength, his physical shape,” he said, adding that when he arrived as manager in the summer, he was advised by those already at the club not to recruit a replacement for Danso, due to Khusanov’s presence.  “If he came from a big club, his price would maybe be around 100m,” said Danso.

Ultimately, he could depart for a much cheaper price with a figure of around €30m being touted. For that price, PSG, Tottenham and Newcastle have all shown interest. It is clear to see why. He is vaunted for his physical characteristics, his recovery speed, his jumping reach, etc. but beyond that is also a high IQ, a reading of the game that means that he has made the second most interceptions in Ligue 1, which is a testament to his excellent positioning. At 20 years old, he is already rounding out his profile and represents excellent value in the current market, as some of Europe’s elite already recognise.

GFFN | Luke Entwistle