Abdukodir Khusanov Signs Five-Year Deal with Manchester City
Manchester City have moved to lock down one of their emerging pillars at the back, with Abdukodir Khusanov signing a new five-year contract on Saturday.
The 22-year-old centre-back, who arrived from Lens in January 2025, has wasted little time convincing City that he belongs at the heart of their next cycle. In his first half-season in England he helped the club lift both the FA Cup and the League Cup and played his part in a Premier League campaign that ended with City as runners-up.
For a player who walked into a dressing room stacked with medals and egos, he settled fast. Strong in duels, comfortable on the ball, and unfazed by the pace of the league, Khusanov has quickly shifted from promising signing to long-term project.
“This is a great day for me and my family. I am really happy to extend my stay at City,” he said after putting pen to paper. “I’ve enjoyed every minute since I arrived in Manchester and I feel I am growing and learning a lot as a player.
“I have a new challenge now, which is to impress (new manager) Enzo Maresca and his staff and ensure I am in his team regularly. I am determined to do that.”
A defender built for the modern City
Khusanov brings with him significant international experience despite his age. He has already been capped 30 times by Uzbekistan and featured at the World Cup, starting all three of their Group K matches. That exposure to high-pressure football has translated smoothly into his club form.
City’s hierarchy have seen enough to believe he can anchor their defence for years.
“We’ve been really pleased and impressed by Abdukodir’s development since he arrived in England,” said director of football Hugo Viana. “We’re seeing him grow into a brilliant young man and an outstanding defender – but we know this is only the beginning. His physical and technical abilities are top, he has all the assets needed to be a world-class centre-back.
“At just 22, his best years are all in front of him and his potential to get even better is clear for all to see.”
The new deal also underlines City’s broader strategy this summer: secure the core, then build around it. Khusanov becomes the second major renewal of the week after England forward Phil Foden signed a four-year extension, a double statement that blends homegrown star power with carefully sourced talent from abroad.
For Maresca, stepping into one of the most scrutinised jobs in football, the timing is ideal. He inherits not just a squad capable of winning now, but one being shaped to dominate the next era as well. Khusanov’s signature is another brick in that wall – a young defender tied down through his prime, hungry to prove he belongs in the starting XI of a team that expects to compete on every front.
City have kept one of their most intriguing young assets. Now the question is simple: how quickly can Khusanov turn promise into dominance at the very top level?
