Abdukodir Khusanov arrived at Manchester City for a reported £33m and his first Premier League minutes in January 2025 were messy: a booking, plus a mistake that handed Chelsea a goal.
A year on, the story has flipped. Pep Guardiola has leaned on the young centre-back through a packed calendar, and Khusanov has quietly become part of City’s week-to-week defensive rotation, with 22 appearances across competitions this season.
The timing matters. With City fighting on multiple fronts, selection is less about reputation and more about reliability on short rest. Khusanov has helped in big moments too, featuring in wins over Manchester United and Newcastle United, and in a comeback at Anfield.
His output backs up the trust. He has 17 tackles and 18 interceptions — both second among City players — and his 22mph top speed ranks among the quickest recorded for a Premier League defender. City underlined the uptick by naming him their player of the month for January.
But the concerns haven’t vanished. The debut error still hangs over him, and after City’s defeat to Real Madrid the next month, pundits described him as nervous. He was also substituted later in the season after a collision with Gianluigi Donnarumma, with reports varying on the exact minute.
For Guardiola, the next run of fixtures will show whether progress holds under pressure — and whether Uzbekistan’s selectors reward his club form.
