Man City advance deal for Lens defender Khusanov

Man City have seemingly targeted the centre-back for the future in Abdukodir Khusanov. The 20-year-old Lens defender is said to be greatly appreciated by the club's board, who have already begun working on a major rebuild of Pep Guardiola's squad, with simultaneous activity being conducted to revive City's current season.
The reigning English champions find themselves in 6th place in the Premier League table and 22nd in the Champions League, with a place in the knockout stage of the competition in serious threat with two games remaining against Paris Saint-Germain and Club Brugge.
City believe that Khusanov, who is valued at over £30 million by the French side, is the ideal profile to strengthen the defence in the remaining second half of the season and beyond. The Uzbekistan international would also be an important asset given City's continuous injury problems, as well as defenders (like Kyle Walker) struggling for form.
According to reports from England, Newcastle and Tottenham have also shown interest in the young defender, nevertheless, City are understood to be in pole position as contact is being maintained with both the Ligue 1 side and the player. Khusanov is renowned for his brutish strength and fiercely competitive nature and currently counts 16 appearances for Lens this season.