Manchester City has officially confirmed the signing of 20-year-old defender Abdukodir Khusanov from Lens for 40 million pounds, plus add-ons.

Manchester City has officially confirmed the signing of 20-year-old defender Abdukodir Khusanov from Lens for 40 million pounds, plus add-ons. The Uzbek international will join the Premier League on a four-and-a-half-year contract, making history as the first player from Uzbekistan to feature in England's top flight.

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ā€œIā€™m absolutely delighted to be joining Manchester City, a club that I have enjoyed watching for a long time.Ā This squad is full of the best players in the world, and I canā€™t wait to meet them and play alongside them. And of course Pep Guardiola is one of the greatest coaches ever and I am so excited to learn from him and improve my game even more. This is a very proud moment for me and my family and Iā€™m more than ready for this challenge," saidĀ Khusanov, who made 31 appearances for Lens after joining them from Belarussian club Energetik-BGU in 2023.

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Khusanov's debut will mark the 126th nation represented in the Premier League since its rebranding in 1992, with Uzbekistan becoming the 19th country to have only a single player in the competition.

Hereā€™s a look at some other pioneering footballers who helped bring diversity to the Premier League:

  1. Dylan Kerr, Malta:Ā The Maltese full-back made five appearances for Leeds during the inaugural 1992-93 Premier League season. No other Maltese player has appeared in the Premier League since.
  2. Zesh Rehman, Pakistan:Ā Rehman made his debut for Fulham in 2004 before switching allegiance from England to Pakistan. He became the first Pakistani to play in the Premier League.
  3. Ali Al-Habsi, Oman:Ā Known for his time at Wigan, where he was a standout goalkeeper, Al-Habsi had a brief spell at Bolton before becoming a Premier League regular.
  4. Gunnar Nielsen, Faroe Islands:Ā In 2010, Nielsen made a surprise appearance for Manchester City, playing the final stages of a goalless draw against Arsenal after an injury to Shay Given.
  5. Victor Wanyama, Kenya:Ā The Kenyan midfielder, most famous for his time at Southampton and Tottenham, scored a memorable 25-yard goal for Spurs in a 2-2 draw with Liverpool in 2018.
  6. Danny Higginbotham, Gibraltar:Ā A veteran of the Premier League with Manchester United, Derby, and Stoke, Higginbotham made a late career switch to represent Gibraltar after the nation gained UEFA recognition in 2019.
  7. Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Armenia:Ā Mkhitaryan played for Manchester United and Arsenal, winning both the League Cup and Europa League with the Red Devils before moving to North London.
  8. Frederic Nimani, Central African Republic:Ā The forward made two Premier League appearances for Burnley before switching international allegiance from France to represent the Central African Republic.
  9. Neil Etheridge, Philippines:Ā The Cardiff City goalkeeper was a mainstay for the Welsh club during the 2018-19 season, although he couldnā€™t prevent their relegation, Etheridge has been a consistent presence for the Philippines.
  10. Jordi Amat, Indonesia:Ā After playing for Spainā€™s youth teams, Amat moved to represent Indonesia and had a solid Premier League career at Swansea City from 2013-2017.
  11. Ryan Donk, Suriname: Donk had a brief Premier League spell with West Brom in 2008-09 before switching allegiance to Suriname, where he later made international appearances.
  12. Onel Hernandez, Cuba: The Norwich forward played in the Premier League during their 2019-20 season and scored goals against Manchester United, before receiving his first call-up to represent Cuba in 2021.
  13. Mbwana Samatta, Tanzania: Samatta made history by becoming the first Tanzanian to score in the Premier League, netting a goal for Aston Villa in a 2-1 win against Bournemouth.
  14. Junior Firpo, Dominican Republic: Firpo, who made an impact for Leeds under Marcelo Bielsa, now plays a key role in their Championship promotion push.
  15. Mahmoud Dahoud, Syria: After representing Germany in youth teams, Dahoud switched to Syria in 2022 and now plays for Brighton after spending time at Borussia Dortmund.
  16. Nathaniel Mendez-Laing, Guatemala: Mendez-Laing featured prominently for Cardiff City, scoring goals against Arsenal, Brighton, and Manchester United, and made his Guatemala debut in 2023.
  17. Ali Al-Hamadi, Iraq: The Ipswich forward, born in Liverpool after his family fled Iraq, has earned 14 caps for his homeland since switching from England to Iraq.
  18. Hamza Choudhury, Bangladesh: After being contacted by passionate fans, Choudhury decided to represent Bangladesh, joining the list of players switching allegiances to bring greater representation to the Premier League.