How Haaland's contract was agreed, who was involved and why the striker decided to sign up for nine and a half years

Manchester City have signed Uzbekistan central defender Abdukodir Khusanov from Ligue 1 side Lens on a four-and-a-half-year deal, the Premier League club announced on Monday.

City’s recent struggles have meant that Erling Haaland has not enjoyed the same prolific level of goalscoring that he has in previous seasons, though the Norwegian, who has just signed a bumper new 9.5-year contract to commit his future to the club, is still second in the league’s top scorer chart with 16 goals, just two behind Mohamed Salah.

Manchester City are considering whether to continue their January recruitment by adding a midfielder to manager Pep Guardiola’s squad. City have been depleted in that area since losing Rodri to a serious knee injury in September.

Additionally, Guardiola recognizes that one of Manchester City's main issues lies in the midfield, especially since Rodri’s injury, prompting him to consider a new signing. The