Tottenham Set to Make History with January Transfer for Emerging Star: Report

Tottenham is facing another uneven season, highlighted by a 4-0 away victory against Manchester City, flanked by a home loss and draw against Ipswich and Fulham respectively.

Defensive issues continue, exacerbated by injuries to Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero. This situation suggests that Tottenham may look to the January transfer market to acquire another defender.

One potential target has emerged, who is having a standout season in Europe. If they were to join Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in 2024/25, it could mark a historic moment.

Tottenham pursuing top Ligue 1 centre-back

As reported by the Telegraph, Tottenham is targeting Lens centre-back Abdukodir Khusanov, whose performances in Ligue 1 this season have been impressive.

The article indicates that Spurs will have competition from Newcastle for Khusanov, in addition to interest from PSG and several other English clubs. The highly coveted 20-year-old has two and a half years left on his current contract in France, with Transfermarkt estimating his value to be under £5 million.

Having developed the Uzbekistan international, Lens expects a fee closer to £25 million, with the idea that continued strong performances might push that amount even higher.

Notably, Khusanov has made 18 appearances for the Uzbekistan national team despite being just 20 years old. If he completes a transfer to Tottenham, or any other Premier League club, this would make him the first player from Uzbekistan to play in the English top division. Currently, Uzbekistan is among the 94 FIFA-affiliated nations yet to have representation in the Premier League, but Khusanov could soon change that.

This centre-back has started nine of Lens’ 13 Ligue 1 matches this season, coming on as a substitute in two others and missing the remaining two after receiving a red card in a 1-0 loss to PSG. He has played a crucial role in securing four clean sheets in matches he has started, with Lens sitting seventh in the league standings.

According to eScored, the proposed £25 million fee seems quite high considering he was acquired for just £100,000 18 months ago, although he is showcasing significant potential. With Tottenham’s pressing need for more defensive reinforcements, if he becomes available for a lower price, it would make more sense to finalize the deal.