He is one of the Lens players who have caused the most discussion since the start of the season, as he has established himself at the heart of the three-man defense of RC Lens, his rating and value skyrocketing. The “mywar china », Kodir Khusanov was again one of the subjects discussed on Thursday at the pre-match press conference.
The big return of Kevin Danso, who should find his place in Saint-Etienne, busiest since August 25 against Brestbefore his aborted transfer to Roma, should not change the starting status of the young Uzbek (20 years old), who also became essential with his selection (16 selections)
He should just slide right axis, in place of Jonathan Gradit returning from injury (ankle), who would therefore be the “sacrificed” of the evening who will start on the bench. If the heart of the defense is its best position, Khusanov, who arrived in Lens in the summer of 2023 for €100,000, already played eight times on the right last season.
“The modern defender that everyone dreams of having”
Will Still is full of praise for the successor designated last summer to Danso, whose departure was scheduled. “ When I arrived at the club, the coach told again, I had been informed of Kevin’s intentions to leave. Jean-Louis Leca told me “Don’t worry, no need to find a replacement, we obviously have to increase our numbers, but the incumbent is there.” And so far, Jean-Louis has not been wrong. Kodir is super complete, he goes very quickly. Physically, he is an athlete. We had a laugh with him at the start of the season: he could have done all the disciplines at the Olympics with Uzbekistan, he is so complete. He reassures a lot of people and he is very good. »
Not Angelo Fulgini who will contradict the Lensois coach: “ Kodir exudes a certain maturity for his young age, serenity too. It’s not from this year. Last year, every time he played, he performed well. In training, he has always performed well too, but he has a little more playing time, so we discover him a little more and he continues. He is calm, powerful in the duel, and also very good at the recovery. He’s the modern defender everyone dreams of having. »
It remains to be seen how long Lens can maintain its rising value, which has arisen in the individual rankings. Breakfast in the top 5 European defenders under 23, 3e duels won (84.5%), Khusanov is also the leader in the number of interceptions in Ligue 1 this season (16).
« We were talking about it earlier at the table. Honestly, I see him going very high, predicts the playmaker. I hope he stays with us as long as possible to help us but it is certain that he has the potential to go to the biggest clubs in the world. »
Senegal
