Khusanov at Manchester City: How Pep Guardiola’s Trust is Shaping a Future Star.

If ever there were doubts over a player’s ceiling, Pep Guardiola’s assessment tends to settle the matter. Enter Abdukodir Khusanov, the young Uzbek defender whom the City boss believes is destined for greatness.

“He [Khusanov] can play centrally, can play all positions in the back line except left back, I would say… his sight is unbelievable, solid, stable, physicality, like Kyle [Walker] in his prime. Has incredible focus, wants to learn.”

Guardiola has praised not only Khusanov’s versatility, but also his maturity in adapting quickly after moves from Uzbekistan to France, and now to Manchester. He said: “The movements and patterns that we have, he is incredible and he will learn quickly. Yeah, I think you smell that he’s a top signing for the next many, many years in the club.”

Most famously, Guardiola has prophesised the success of Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets, Joshua Kimmich and teammate Rico Lewis - and if his track record is anything to go by, this promising talent could soon be spoken of in the same breath.

Player Profiling and the Road Ahead

The Uzbekistan international is an extremely athletic defender, using his pace to great advantage. This was evident in the first half against Arsenal, when going up against Leandro Trossard. The youngster had the better of the Belgian for much of the game, and even when Trossard evaded him, his speed allowed him to recover and regain possession. Earlier in 2025, while still playing for RC Lens in Ligue 1, the City recruit produced a viral moment when he clocked a speed of 37km per hour in an explosive run.

Much of the early stigma around the young defender centred on his debut for Manchester City against Chelsea last January, where he gifted the Blues an early goal through an error and was booked after just four minutes. On that day, Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville said: “I felt like crying for the lad.”

For a moment, it seemed as though the experience might dent his confidence permanently. However, the debut came in a difficult season for City, one that served as a learning curve for the whole team regardless of experience. Since then, the Uzbekistan international has worked himself into the squad, emerging as part of a new era under Guardiola following the departures of Kyle Walker, Ederson, Ilkay Gundogan and Kevin De Bruyne.

One of the defender’s most notable weaknesses is his play on the ball. This is a surprising trait for a Guardiola side. However, City have evolved away from prioritising possession as the sole focus, and at such a young age, he has the time and environment to grow in confidence under the guidance of his manager. He was substituted at half-time against Arsenal, with Guardiola confirming that the Uzbekistan international would miss the next few games. “He will be out for the next three games, I think,” he told journalists. This includes Huddersfield, Burnley and Monaco, meaning he will likely return for Brentford.

Even with City’s current injury list, the right-back spot appears secure for the season. Competing with Matheus Nunes and Rico Lewis comes in the form of healthy competition amidst a 50+ games season. With Josko Gvardiol moving into a centreback role, the arrival of Rayan Ait-Nouri will give Gvardiol the opportunity to establish himself alongside Ruben Dias or John Stones at the heart of defence for the first time in his City career. Consequently, Khusanov’s time at centreback will be limited.

The trajectory of Khusanov suggests steady adaptation to the English game. His current strengths, which can be summed up to athleticism, versatility and focus - appear well suited to the role Guardiola has envisioned in his quest for the Premier League title. Maximising his minutes while preparing him for what could be a long and successful career at the Etihad is imperative, as long as he can avoid disrupted spells through injuries.