Manchester City signing expected in England very soon for medical and contract signing | OneFootball

Premier League champions Manchester City are expecting to finalise all elements of their first January transfer window signing very soon, according to reports.

Ligue 1 side Lens and Etihad Stadium officials reached an agreement over a transfer fee for 20-year-old central defender Abdukodir Khusanov last week, in a development that is likely to make the Uzbek star the club’s first signing of the January market.

Khusanov is expected to be one of several arrivals into Pep Guardiola’s squad this month as Manchester City begin work on a major squad overhaul as they look to move into a new generation of their all-conquering side.

Given the head coach has two years remaining on his City agreement, Guardiola is expected to be tasked with driving Manchester City into a new era, and as such leaving the first-team squad in a strong position for a new manager to lead forward.

And the aforementioned central defender marks the start of that change, with Khusanov expected to come straight into Pep Guardiola’s first-team squad upon finalising the necessary paperwork in Manchester very soon.

According to the information of RMC Sport’s Fabrice Hawkins, Abdukodir Khusanov is expected to arrive in England this week in order to undergo his Manchester City medical and sign for the reigning Premier League champions.

Notably, the Uzebk defender was not part of Will Still’s Lens squad for their Ligue 1 trip to Le Havre over the weekend as the French side concluded an agreement with Etihad Stadium bosses over a big-money transfer for the 20-year-old.

For the time being, Pep Guardiola has remained tight-lipped on the matter, insisting that he would not be commenting on the player until Manchester City themselves have formally announced the arrival of the defender.

Quizzed during a press conference on Monday regarding the news that City had reached an agreement over a transfer fee for Khusanov with Lens, Guardiola said, “The club didn’t announce anything.”

The highly-rated centre-back talent was also not in Lens’ matchday squad against Le Havre in Ligue 1 action on Sunday afternoon, in a clear indication that a move to the Premier League is only a matter of days away.