Newcastle United were interested in signing a key player from Lens, but Manchester City also have joined to the highly-rated defender, according to a report by Craig Hope of the Daily Mail. Khusanov, a 20-year-old Uzbek international, joined City this week in a £34 million deal.
Hope wrote that Newcastle had explored options to bring Khusanov to Tyneside, whether on loan with an option to buy or through a summer transfer.
However, Newcastle were unable to move as swiftly as City due to Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) constraints.
Speaking to Russian outlet Championat, Khusanov’s agent Gairat Khasbiullin revealed how Newcastle were to landing the player.
“Newcastle were very close to a deal. They were even one of the favourites, and then they were the last to leave the race with City. As far as I understand, financial fair play also played a role. And they didn’t have enough time. Perhaps, if they had made an offer earlier, they would have managed to reach an agreement.
“Then City put so much pressure on Lens that it was difficult to make a comparable offer. The fact that the French needed this saving money also played a role.”
For now, Newcastle will keep trying to beat Man City on the ground while still trailing the Cityzens off of it.
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