Manchester City are primed to strike first among the Premier League's big guns in this month's transfer window as one of their main targets is free to leave.
Pep Guardiola's side are reportedly in talks to sign Lens defender Abdukodir Khusanov to strengthen their back line. The reigning champions have shipped a whopping 27 league goals this season, with teams slicing them open at will in recent weeks.
And Khusanov is regarded as one of the finest young defenders on the continent. Now, Lens managing director Pierre Dreossi has added fuel to City's transfer chase by admitting the 20-year-old will depart before the end of the month.
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"Khusanov will leave," he told DAZN in France. "There haven’t been any good bids yet. If he is to leave and if the bids are interesting enough, above all, it’s about finding an economic balance."
Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano reported earlier this week that City had placed Khusanov on their winter wish list. And as the window slowly begins to take shape, the Blues are still in 'active contact' with both Lens and the player's entourage.
Other top clubs are believed to be keeping tabs on Khusanov, but in a window which needs a big move to gee up the market, City have cash to splash after spending conservatively in recent windows.
Lens paid only a paltry fee to sign Khusanov from Belarusian club Energetik-BGU in 2023, and they are set to bank a tidy profit, with his current price tag touted to be £20million. City have avoided spending big in January since splashing out on Aymeric Laporte in 2018.
And Guardiola has suggested that fans hoping for a winter blowout will be left disappointed. The Catalan head coach faces a fight to even finish in the top four this season, but he does not want to see City revert to panic buying.
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"I don’t know [whether we will sign anyone] right now, it’s not easy," he explained. "It will not be easy. Maybe we sign someone, maybe we don’t sign anyone.
"The club has to be wise. Don’t do it just to do it. We want to add players for the situation that we have because the players have consistent injuries many times. The club has to do it but I’m not sure if it will be possible."
