Uzbekistan national team defender Abdukodir Khusanov officially joined Manchester City, becoming the first Uzbekistan’s international to play in the English Premier League. The 20-year-old signed a contract with the English club until 2029, and French club Lens will receive 40 million euros with bonuses for his transfer.
In an interview with Gazeta.uz, Khusanov’s agent, founder of the football agency Football Group, Gairat Khasbiullin spoke about the reasons behind the player’s choice of Manchester City, his departure from Lens and the transfer negotiations.
Choosing Manchester City
Abdukodir Khusanov with his father Hikmat Khoshimov in Paris.
According to Khasbiullin, many clubs, including 12 from the Premier League, showed real interest in Khusanov. Offers also came from Germany, Italy, and Spain.
“We chose Manchester City because Abdukodir and his father made the decision themselves. They chose it because under Pep Guardiola’s guidance, he can progress even better and faster. In other words, we chose the best coach in the world. If our player is with the best coach in the world, he will develop faster and reach even greater heights. This was the principle behind the choice,” he said.
Khusanov’s reaction to the transfer
Gairat Khasbiullin highlighted Khusanov’s “calm demeanor”, explaining that the player had become “very attached to his time at Lens”.
“And probably, a big part of this is thanks to Lens, France, the fans and the coaching staff at Lens, which is why he grew to love France and Lens so much. It was difficult for him to accept that it was time to leave just as the fairytale began at Lens. He would probably have loved to play there a little longer,” he said.
Abdukodir Khusanov decided to accommodate Lens, the football club that currently needs to improve its financial situation.
“We made the decision to help [the club] and move to Manchester City because the offer made to Lens is actually the biggest player sale deal in France during this winter transfer window. We are very grateful to Lens, and it was very hard for Abdukodir to leave the team now. But I am sure that in his new team, he will adapt quickly. Due to his character, he will earn the respect and friendship of his teammates. I believe he will have no issues with this because in every team he’s been in, everyone has spoken highly of him, and everyone has really liked him,” the agent said.
Position on the field
Football experts expressed concerns about Khusanov’s adaptation to Manchester City’s system. At both the Uzbekistan national team and Lens, Abdukodir played in a three-center-back formation (3−4−2−1 or 5−4−1), while at Manchester City, coach Pep Guardiola prefers a two-center-back setup (4−2−3−1, 4−1−4−1).
“Abdukodir is now in the hands of the best coach and the best club in the world. And if the head coach invited him, it means he sees a place for him in his system and understands where Khusanov is best suited. I think, from a football perspective, Pep Guardiola understands better than I do where and in which position Khusanov should play. I will leave that decision to the coach,” the agent emphasized.
Negotiations with Manchester City
Ulugbek Asanbayev, Abdukodir Khusanov and Gairat Khasbiullin.
Alongside Khasbiullin, the transfer negotiations involved Khusanov, his father, former Uzbekistan national player Hikmat Khoshimov, and ex-Kazakhstan national player Ulugbek Asanbayev.
From Lens, the well-known football agent Jorge Mendes participated in the negotiations, while from Manchester City, the sporting director Txiki Begiristain was involved.
Jorge Mendes (right).
Gairat Khasbiullin praised Manchester City’s leadership for their professionalism. According to him, he was in contact with the club’s sporting director Txiki Begiristain for about a month.
“I saw how much he was in favor of the player, and he had a great desire for the player to join them. It’s a very professional team. I can say that from their work, from the organization of everything. We came to the best club. I think here they gather the best people around. Every position probably has the best people in the world — from a doctor to the press service,” he said.
Referring to Manchester City’s press service head, Khasbiullin mentioned that around 70 people work in the media center, including photographers, cameramen and social media managers.
“If the club’s media team alone consists of 70 people, then the professionalism in other areas of the club is beyond doubt,” the agent emphasized.
Adaptation in new country
Currently, the Football Group agency, representing Khusanov, along with Manchester City representatives, is handling tasks such as finding accommodation, registration with authorities, opening accounts and other matters.
“This is being handled by a separate team. The player is not distracted from the training process at all. All the work is being done by the club’s staff and our agency’s staff. This is our shared workflow with the club,” Khasbiullin noted.
Gratitude
Khasbiullin expressed his gratitude to everyone who supported Abdukodir Khusanov on his journey to Manchester City.
“First of all, it’s his father and family. Secondly, the person who did a lot for him not just in sports but also in other areas, his main advisor, and the one who invested a lot of time and resources in his development is Ulugbek Asanbayev. He believed in him as a player when he first arrived in Belarus. Thirdly, I thank the coaching staff at Energetik-BGU: Anatoly Yurevich and Vladimir Belavsky. These people did a lot for Abdukodir in Belarus,” he said.
“I am also deeply grateful to FC Lens, especially to the coaching staff that worked with him, including former head coach Franck Haise and the sporting director at the time Grégory Thil. These people believed in Abdukodir at the time and did everything to help him reach this level. And thanks to the French people and Lens fans, who supported Abdukodir throughout his journey in France,” the agent added.
Khasbiullin also highlighted the role of the Uzbekistan Football Association, the national youth team’s Olympic qualification and the national team’s successful World Cup qualifying campaign.
“Throughout this journey — from playing for Energetik-BGU in Belarus to joining Manchester City — we have felt the support of the president of the Uzbekistan Football Association Abdusalom Azizov and the entire association leadership,” he noted.
“Every employee in the national teams, the international department, the press service and the team doctor — they all do tremendous work that deserves recognition. This refers to the work done by the Football Association over the years, which has allowed us to play in the Olympics and, most likely, qualify for the World Cup. Our youth teams will compete in the World Cup, and our young player is joining the best club in the world. This is a collective victory, a shared achievement and it cannot be accomplished by one person alone,” the agent concluded.
Earlier, Gazeta.uz published an interview with Khusanov, recorded back in the summer of 2024, when Uzbekistan’s team was preparing for the Paris Olympics.
