Featured Image Credit: Getty
Topics: Erik Ten Hag, Manchester City, Manchester United
Josh Lawless
Erik ten Hag passed up the chance to sign a player who has since signed for Manchester City while he was in charge of Manchester United, it has been revealed.
Ten Hag was given the boot by United in October and replaced by Ruben Amorim after winning the Carabao Cup and FA Cup in his tenure at Old Trafford.
The Dutchman had a 55% win ratio at United and was widely criticised for his transfer policy, often signing players who he had worked with at Ajax or those who had links to the Eredivisie or the Netherlands.
But it's emerged that during his tenure of the 13-time Premier League the 54-year-old turned down the opportunity to snap up a player who City have since brought to the blue side of Manchester.
Abdukodir Khusanov has penned a four-year deal with City, joining from RC Lens for an initial £33.8 million.
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Lens have made a substantial amount of profit on the 20-year-old defender, having purchased him for just £85,000 in July 2023.
He will become the first Uzbekistan player to play in the Premier League but the centre-back could have signed for United had Ten Hag had a different view on his ability.
United scout Nicolas Chenal saw Khusanov in action at the Under 20 World Cup in Argentina back in May 2023 and liked what he saw, ultimately meeting with agent
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Gairat Khasbiullin.
According to Khasbiullin, United was the first club to register interest and the Chenal expressed regret when the City deal was confirmed.
“(He said) that Khusanov has Manchester United DNA. It was at that moment that I realised that the guy would end up in a top club,” Khasbiullin told Championat.
“The scout made a detailed report, but coach Ten Hag said that the defender was not quite ready to help the team at that time. Recently we corresponded with that Manchester United scout. He congratulated us on the transfer to City but regretted that the player did not end up at Manchester United.”
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Khusanov, who has taken the No.45 shirt, could make his debut against Chelsea in the Premier League on Saturday.