Leeds United have seen a number of transfer targets join other clubs during this January transfer window. It’s been quite a frustrating month so far for fans, though Daniel Farke appears to be mostly content with his squad.
Whilst Leeds United do still boast a very strong squad, the need for one or two signings is evident. At centre-back especially, following the injury to Pascal Struijk, Leeds are very light on numbers. A handful of centre-backs have been linked, one was Abdukodir Khusanov.
The Uzbeki international was hot property after bursting onto the scene with RC Lens in France, and at one point it was even claimed that Leeds United had made a bid for Khusanov, coming in at around £16.5million.
He eventually sealed a £33.8m to Manchester City though, and Pep Guardiola was quick to hand him his debut.
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Pep Guardiola admits difficult debut for Abdukodir Khusanov at Man City
Manchester City boss Guardiola wasted no time in handing Khusanov his debut, throwing him right in at the deep end with a starting spot against Chelsea over the weekend.
Despite City eventually winning 3-1, Khusanov had a nightmare debut. His mistake after just three minutes of the game allowed Noni Madueke to hand Chelsea the lead. Khusanov steadily recovered but was hooked after just 54 minutes of the game.
Speaking to Sky Sport after the game, Guardiola admitted that it was a tough debut for Khusanov, saying: “I thought ‘not the best start’. But dealing with [Nicolas] Jackson, with Cole [Palmer], with all these incredible players, it’s not easy, and I loved the reaction of his mates.
“I have to learn Russian or Uzbek to communicate with him because he doesn’t speak English fluently. But listen, in this kind of situation, there’s nothing much to say. He knows he made a mistake.
“What can I say? ‘Don’t do a mistake’. He doesn’t want to do it. We know that. The reaction in the match was amazing.”
How close did Leeds United come to signing Abdukodir Khusanov?
At 20 years old, Khusanov remains a prospect. He’s the first Uzbeki to play in the Premier League and he’ll no doubt do his country proud in years to come, having signed a four-and-a-half year contract at the Etihad.
But perhaps a step down from City could’ve been better for Khusanov’s immediate progression as he looked out of his depth at times against Chelsea.
Leeds in the Championship could’ve been a great place to start. But despite reports that Leeds bid to sign Khusanov, it never looked like a realistic deal.
But speaking recently, Khusanov’s agent revealed the Premier League interest in his client, saying: “Serious talks [with Manchester City] began in early December. In total, about 12 Premier League clubs expressed an interest. It was clear that City would be among them.”
Leeds then might never have stood a chance in the transfer race. The Whites have just one week left of the transfer window and no new players are yet to arrive in West Yorkshire.
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