Newcastle and Tottenham are reportedly set to clash in the January transfer window for Lens’ highly rated center-back, Abdukodir Khusanov, according to a report by The Telegraph.
The 20-year-old Uzbekistan international has emerged as one of Ligue 1’s standout defenders this season, catching the attention of several top European clubs, including Paris Saint-Germain and other Premier League sides, according to the report.
Khusanov joined Lens from Belarusian side Energetik-BGU Minsk for a mere £83,000 in the 2023 summer transfer window and has solidified his place in Will Still’s Lens side, starting nine of their 13 league matches this season.
Lens boast one of the league’s tightest defenses, conceding just 12 goals—second only to PSG.
Newcastle’s pursuit of Khusanov comes in response to their ongoing defensive issues, exacerbated by Sven Botman’s knee injury, which has sidelined the Dutch centre-back for the entire season so far. That said, it’s not quite clear if NUFC will prioritize signing another defender with Botman and Jamal Lascelles expected to make their comebacks to the pitch in the next few weeks.
Eddie Howe sees Khusanov as a prime candidate to bolster Newcastle’s backline, especially given his versatility as he can be deployed as both a classic center-back as well as a defensive midfielder.
Lens, currently seventh in Ligue 1, are aware of the growing interest in their young star and might do well to cash in now rather than waiting and get a lower fee later if the production of the youngster falls down a bit.
While valued at around £25 million now, the French club could be hard-pressed to resist significant offers in January if they truly believe he’s only scratching the surface of his potential, trying to delay any sale until at least next summer so they can get a much bigger fee in return.