Man City hatch double medical plan as first Omar Marmoush transfer bid rejected

Plans are taking shape for Lens defender Abdukodir Khusanov to undergo his Manchester City medical tests on Friday ahead of his proposed £33.75million (€40m) transfer that will also include bonuses.  All relevant paperwork has now been exchanged and signed by both clubs but the 20-year-old Uzbekistan international has been awaiting the approval of his work permit before he can formally complete his lucrative move to the Etihad, which he has now finally received. Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid had also shown tentative interest in the player but decided against a move for Khusanov, who had his heart set on joining City after it emerged Pep Guardiola had personally approved his arrival.  Khusanov had been suffering from sickness last week and did not train alongside his Lens team-mates, instead completing gym work but now he is ready to formally complete a dream switch to the Premier League less than two years after moving to Ligue 1 from Belarusian outfit Energetik-BUG for just £83,000 (€100,000) in July 2023.

Meanwhile, City are closing in on a significant, big-money deal for top attacking target Omar Marmoush in a welcome boost for Guardiola following the disappointing 2-2 midweek draw at Brentford.

City's sporting director Txiki Begiristain opened talks with Eintracht Frankfurt last week and fresh discussions took place between the parties on Monday when the top-flight champions are understood to have made their first formal proposal.

German sources suggest it was worth somewhere between £55m (€65m) and £59m (€70m) inclusive of add-ons which fell narrowly short of Frankfurt's £67.5m (€80m) valuation. Eintracht board spokesperson Axel Hellmann is believed to be playing a key role in the transfer negotiations.

City are thought to be hopeful of making the breakthrough within the next 48 hours ahead of Frankfurt's league clash with Borussia Dortmund on Friday evening. Eintracht are seeking a base fee of £59m (€70m) and anticipate the rest of the package will be made up of realistic performance-related add-ons.

Meanwhile, 25-year-old forward Marmoush has continued to excel on the field while discussions have rumbled on in the background and he has not let the speculation impact his form.

After netting the winner in Saturday's 1-0 triumph at St. Pauli, Marmoush struck another goal and also registered two assists on Tuesday evening as the Bundesliga side thrashed Freiburg 4-1.  Eintracht sporting director Markus Krosche, who has also been at the centre of talks with City, has since declared there is no reason why Marmoush will not continue playing, all the while no deal has been agreed with City.  He said: "I have already said that there is interest from a club, and there is nothing more to say at the moment. There is no other situation. Everything that the future brings will be seen in the next few days. And as long as he is a player for Eintracht Frankfurt and performs well, he will play."  Palmeiras central defender Vitor Reis is also due to undergo a medical in England ahead of a £29.4m permanent transfer. He is flying to the Uk on Wednesday. Brighton had several proposals rejected for the 19-year-old, who had also been tracked by Arsenal and Real Madrid.