In what has been an incredibly busy January transfer window so far, Manchester City have now reportedly reached an agreement to sign another young defender after Vitor Reis and Abdukodir Khusanov.
Man City transfer news
It was clear ahead of the transfer window that Manchester City needed to spend following their toughest run of form under Pep Guardiola. Now, 21 days into the window, we’ve got our answer as to how they were planning on spending that money, welcoming Khusanov and Reis alongside Eintracht Frankfurt star Omar Marmoush in a deal worth a reported €75m (£63m) this month.
Speaking to the club website after putting pen to paper, Khusanov said: “I’m absolutely delighted to be joining Manchester City, a club that I have enjoyed watching for a long time.
“This squad is full of the best players in the world, and I can’t wait to meet them and play alongside them. And of course Pep Guardiola is one of the greatest coaches ever and I am so excited to learn from him and improve my game even more.
“This is a very proud moment for me and my family to be joining a great Club like Manchester City and I’m more than ready for this challenge.”
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Those at The Etihad have wasted no time before shifting their focus towards further reinforcements, however. According to Fabrizio Romano, Manchester City have now reached a verbal agreement to sign Juma Bah from Real Valladolid.
The young defender, should the deal cross the line, could reportedly head straight on loan to RC Lens who Manchester City have an excellent relationship with following their deal to sign Khusanov. In one swoop, Lens would have their Khusanov replacement and City would have another future star.
"Promising" Bah is another one for the future
Whilst there may be some concern that Manchester City have not gone in pursuit of instant improvements this month, what they have done is prepare for the future in what has been intelligent business. Reis, Khusanov and now Bah represent players who have looked destined to step into the spotlight and City have acted before their price tags reflect that.
Described as a “promising” defender by Rising Star XI, 18-year-old Bah has already made his mark on senior football for Real Valladolid, becoming a key part of their La Liga side in the current campaign. Now, however, he could find himself on his way to Manchester City and now on loan to Ligue 1 side Lens in two moves full of potential.
Suddenly, an ageing backline full of options such as John Stones, Kyle Walker and Nathan Ake has youthful exuberance to it. Reis, Khusanov and Bah could be the future of City’s backline and even if they’re not destined to make an instant impact on Guardiola’s side, there’s no doubt that their time will come as is the case for most stars at The Etihad.