Paul Mitchell identifies £20m deal with player ‘keen’ on Newcastle move - Report
Paul Mitchell is set to face his first real test as Sporting Director, with Newcastle keen on bringing in young Ligue 1 defender Abdukodir Khusanov to the club in January.
In a report from the i’s Mark Douglas, the 20-year-old Uzbekistan international is said to be open to the move to St James’ Park from Lens, though other Premier League clubs like Tottenham and Manchester City are also being touted as potential suitors.
It’s thought the defender, considered one of the best young talents in Europe, could be available for around £20m, meaning he’d be considerably cheaper than Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi.
A snippet from Douglas’ piece states: ‘The 20-year-old has been touted as one of Europe’s most promising defenders and fits neatly into the profile of the sort of player that director of football Mitchell wants to tilt the club’s recruitment strategy towards.’
It should come as no surprise that an overseas talent like Khusanov is on Mitchell’s radar, with reports earlier in the season indicating that a strong, youthful defence was a primary aim for the 43-year-old, building on the foundations of Lewis Hall, Tino Livramento, and Sven Botman’s signings since the 2021 takeover.
A PSR-friendly move?
There’s also the idea that Khusanov could later be used to help ease future PSR issues, with the defender having such high potential that he can command substantial profit on a £20m fee.
The move for Khusanov also gives a strong indicator that Marc Guehi is off the table for the time being, with Botman’s impending return and the massive asking price from Steve Parish and Crystal Palace pushing Mitchell, Howe and co to look towards more budget-friendly, better value signings.
Douglas builds on this in his piece, as pricey moves for Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo or PSV’s Johan Bakayoko are deemed unlikely heading in January.
‘Newcastle sources have consistently stressed that major moves will be difficult given their PSR situation, with interest in Bournemouth’s £50m-rated forward Antoine Semenyo and PSV Eindhoven’s similarly expensive winger Johan Bakoyoko viewed as unlikely.’
