Agent reveals Newcastle was close to signing Khusanov

Just after joining Manchester City, Uzbek defender Abdukodir Khusanov made his debut under Pep Guardiola. However, as it turns out, the young player’s career path could have taken a very different turn.

Details: Khusanov’s agent, Gayrat Khasbiullin, revealed that Newcastle was very close to signing the defender and was among the frontrunners before ultimately losing out to Manchester City.

Quote: “Newcastle was very close to completing the deal. They were even among the favorites to sign him, but they dropped out at the last moment in the race with City. From what I understand, financial fair play also played a role.

They didn’t have enough time. Perhaps if they had made an offer earlier, they could have reached an agreement. Then, City applied such pressure on Lens that it was difficult for them to make a comparable offer. The fact that the French club needed the money also played a role,” Khasbiullin said.

Reminder: Guardiola recently noted that Khusanov is facing a language barrier as he does not speak English yet.