In Lens, we had never seen this. Rarely has a player made such an impression in such a short time and experienced such room for improvement. This player is obviously Abdukodir Khusanov. Brooded upon his arrival, the Uzbek defensive rock, recruited for €100,000 by the Artesian club, has become a pillar of RC Lens, one of the best players in Ligue 1 and an element unanimously appreciated internally and in the locker room. Among most European scouts, his name appears almost all the time at the top in most reports, but also in the data, elements that have become essential for recruitment cells.
The rest after this ad
Regarding, Khusanov, the Lensois plan was simple during the summer, support the progress of the 20-year-old player at the end of his contract in June 2027, make the most of it and sell him at the end of the season to a club that would suit all parties . Yes, but in the meantime, the non-transfers of Kevin Danso to Roma and Neil El Aynaoui to Monaco which were to bring in around forty million euros to the northern club during the summer transfer window have weighed down the club’s finances and this , even if the loan taken out a few weeks ago solved many problems. But the prospect of selling Khusanov and settling numerous debts is very tempting for Lens and for its sports director Diego Lopez who mandated Jorge Mendes in the fall to sell the best market value of his squad. As we revealed to you in October, the Portuguese super agent had also initiated an approach with Luis Campos and PSG.
Jorge Mendes talks to Manchester City and Real Madrid
Diego Lopez also confirmed the existence of this exclusive club mandate in the columns of the Team on December 20, a statement as surprising as it was unexpected for such a deal which clearly marked the desire of the Lens sports director to accelerate the file. “We decided, in the club project, to do it. We put all options on the table. We analyzed a lot and we decided with Pierre Dréossi to sign a mandate with Jorge Mendes. This is the result of an internal market analysis, the price of a transfer and many other factors.» It must be said that with around fifteen clubs interested, Lopez could hope to see the bids rise for his defender.
The rest after this ad
Asked by DAZN before the match against Toulouse this Sunday, the general director of RC Lens, Pierre Dréossi had a few words: “Khusanov will leave, there have been no good offers yet (..). We have the best defense in the championship. So it’s true that if Khusanov leaves… If he has to leave and if the offers are interesting, it is above all to try to find an economic balance. I hope that with its sale, we will return to a level which corresponds more to that of RC Lens, but without less ambitious ambition.» According to our information, a meeting between Manchester City, Jorge Mendes and RC Lens took place last week in the presence of the player’s father Khikmatzhon Khoshimov and his agent Khasbiullin Gairat. Real Madrid, which is looking for a central defender, is also very interested in the profile of the player who was suspended for the match against TFC. The Lensois objective is to recover much more than €25 million.
“It is up to Abdukodir to decide the next step to take”
But the player in all this? He is following the situation with interest with his representatives. Very respectful of the Artesian club that he had chosen while a German club and an English club had come forward before he chose Lens, Khusanov has a well-defined career plan as his entourage confided to us. . “The player loves RC Lens with all his heart. But we understand the club’s desire to gain financial benefit from the transfer, and they deserve it for their confidence in the young player. We are grateful for everything Lens has given us and that in this situation, but it is up to the player to decide what next step to take. Abdukodir is now ready to stay a few more months in Lens if necessary. The player’s sporting development is a priority for us and that is why we decided to sign Lens at that time when we had other offers.»
The rest after this ad
Today, clubs like Bayer Leverkusen, Napoli, Juventus, Borussia Dortmund and especially Newcastle (which is one of the hottest clubs currently with Real Madrid and Manchester City) are intermediate clubs that could allow Khusanov to reach a new level before making the big leap towards the top of the European top. Two rooms, two atmospheres therefore for the future of the Lensois defender who will animate the entire month of January of the transfer window in Ligue 1. For a happy epilogue, one or the other party will surely have to find what they want. For the moment, we are very far from it.
Pub. the 06/01/2025 13:45
– UPDATE 06/01/2025 13:46
