Manchester City are in talks with Lens over a January deal for centre-back Abdukodir Khusanov, a source has told ESPN.
City have been tracking the 20-year-old Uzbekistan international for a while and have stepped up their attempts to bring him to the Etihad Stadium.
A decision on what his immediate future would look like has not yet been taken. Should City reach an agreement with Lens, all options -- including joining Pep Guardiola's squad this season or staying with the Ligue 1 side until the summer -- are on the table.
A deal for Khusanov's transfer is expected to cost around £20 million ($24.9m). He has caught the attention of a number of top clubs after moving to Lens from the Belarusian league in 2023.
City's injury problems in defence may offer an opportunity for Khusanov to play for Guardiola's first-team this season. Rúben Dias and John Stones are sidelined while both Nathan Aké and Manuel Akanji have suffered injuries this season. It has meant that 19-year-old academy graduate Jahmai Simpson-Pusey has been called upon to make five appearances so far this campaign, including two in the Premier League.
As well as working on a deal for Khusanov, sources have told ESPN that City are also keen to bring in a central midfielder in January.
According to sources, Newcastle United's valuation of Bruno Guimarães is too high while Real Sociedad's Martín Zubimendi is considered too similar to Rodri.
Atalanta's Brazilian midfielder Éderson has admirers at City, but there are doubts about whether the Serie A side will consider a transfer in January.
The Italian club are challenging for the Serie A title at the midpoint of the season and are still in contention for a place in the Champions League knockout rounds.