Abdukodir Khusanov’s agent sheds light on Newcastle talks before 2025 Man City transfer | OneFootball

The agent of Manchester City centre-back Abdukodir Khusanov has revealed that Newcastle United held concrete talks to sign the Uzbekistan international before the defender ultimately completed his move to the Etihad Stadium, adding that a warm relationship between the two parties has been maintained ever since.

Khusanov arrived at Manchester City in January 2025, joining from French club RC Lens in a deal that represented one of the more eye-catching winter window additions of recent years, with the Uzbekistan international’s performances in Ligue 1 having drawn sustained interest from a number of prominent clubs across Europe ahead of the transfer.

Gairat Khasbiullin, who represents Khusanov, has now broken his silence on the nature of that interest, shedding new light on how close Newcastle United came to securing a player who has since gone on to establish himself as a regular starter in Manchester City’s defence under the management structures overseen by director of football Hugo Viana.

Reports at the time of Khusanov’s signing had linked Tottenham, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain with interest in the centre-back alongside Newcastle, though the agent’s account suggests that of those clubs, only the Magpies progressed to a level that could genuinely be described as concrete rather than exploratory.

The revelation arrives at a moment of considerable activity in the transfer market, with Newcastle themselves among the clubs most active in reshaping their squad ahead of the new season, and with Khusanov’s future at the Etihad Stadium understood to remain a subject of ongoing assessment as new manager Enzo Maresca evaluates every member of his inherited squad.

Khasbiullin: “Great rapport with Magpies” as Newcastle congratulate Khusanov on City move

In an interview with Sport Express, as quotes relayed by Sport Witness, Khasbiullin confirmed that while several clubs were linked with Khusanov, only Newcastle reached the stage of substantive negotiations.

“Newcastle. The others may have shown interest, just like many other teams. It never got to the point of concrete talks,” said the agent.

“But we established a great rapport with the Magpies. I have great respect for their management, and they were the first to congratulate us on Khusanov’s move to City.”

Khasbiullin elaborated further on the nature of the ongoing relationship with Newcastle, revealing that the goodwill generated during those talks has been preserved and developed into something more durable.

“We maintain a warm relationship with them. I think that someday a player from Uzbekistan will end up at Newcastle,” he added.

“In general, I try to get along well with everyone I’ve negotiated with, sending holiday greetings and congratulations on important victories. When I travel to England, we have dinner together.

“Yes, that deal didn’t go through, but they really wanted him, and no one held a grudge. They say: whenever you’re planning to visit us, just give us a call in advance and a box at St. James’ Park is at your disposal.”