Outside of Manchester City, this January transfer window has been insanely uneventful. It’s been tumbleweeds, basically, pretty much everywhere. But at Man City, they have gotten a trio of signings over the line: Abdukodir Khusanov, 20, an Uzbekistan defender that was acquired for $41 million from Lens, Omar Marmoush, 25, an Egyptian forward signed for $78 million from Eintract Frankfurt and 19-year-old Vitor Reis, a Brazilian defender acquired from Palmeiras for $36 million.
🚨✨ Khusanov starts for Manchester City today against Chelsea after joining on deal worth +€40m from RC Lens.
First Uzbek player ever to play in PL. 🇺🇿 pic.twitter.com/YvsrbPIoIa
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 25, 2025
UEFA Champions League Matchday 8 of 8
Manchester City vs Club Brugge
Kickoff: Wed. Jan. 29, 8pm, Etihad Stadium, Manchester, UK
Manchester City Preview Material: Team News Starting XI Prediction
🚨🔛 Omar Marmoush starts for Man City against Chelsea after joining earlier this week for €75m fee. pic.twitter.com/NaJpbCYSuN
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 25, 2025
As you can see above, two of them started today, and for Khusanov, it was disastrous. He gifted a goal within the first three minutes of his Manchester City debut. And just a minute after that, he committed a foul on Chelsea talisman, and former City forward Cole Palmer.
Khusanov was forced into action due to injuries to Ruben Dias and Nathan Ake.
He was replaced by John Stones in the 54′, as the English central defender was only fit enough to feature off the bench, and not from the jump.
After the match, which City rallied back to win 3-1, manager Pep Guardiola admitted that he needs Stones to be fully fit for Wednesday night’s Champions League clash with Club Brugge.
Ake and Dias won’t be ready, and the Cityzens need to win in midweek, in order to advance to the next round.
Even if Khusanov would have played well today, he still won’t play on Wednesday, given that he is not eligible to feature for City in UEFA competition.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.