Phil Foden and Manchester City have agreed terms in principle on a new four-year contract.
Foden, who is about to enter the final year of his current deal, is expected to commit his future to boyhood club City until 2030, and his new contract includes the option to extend by a further year.
The England international has won six Premier League titles, the Champions League, two FA Cups and five Carabao Cups since breaking through from the City academy, making his debut aged 17 in 2017.
The 25-year-old has scored 10 goals and provided five assists in 46 appearances in all competitions for City this season.
The midfielder enjoyed his career-best season in 2023/24, winning Premier League Player of the Season and PFA Players’ Player of the Year, but has since struggled to reach those heights for City.
Foden has contributed fewer goals and assists in the last two seasons combined and has subsequently lost his place as a regular starter in Pep Guardiola’s side, his last City goal coming in December.
Will Foden make England’s World Cup squad?
Cole Palmer is one of the many players Phil Foden is competing with for a place in the England team
England boss Thomas Tuchel has raised doubts about Foden’s inclusion at the World Cup this summer after he disappointed in the last international break.
Foden was the only player in England’s expanded squad to start in both of the March friendlies, playing as a No 10 against Uruguay and as a false nine against Japan, but failed to impress in either position.
Asked whether the 49-cap forward had taken his opportunity, Tuchel said: “He tried everything. I would say he was excellent in camp but, yeah, he struggles to show it on the pitch.
“Obviously he didn’t have a lot of minutes for City recently, then he came to camp with the brightest smile and was so good in training.
“And I thought he will just surprise us and will play with the same verve and excitement but, yeah, he struggles to have the full impact.”
Pressed on if it places doubts against Foden’s inclusion for the World Cup, Tuchel added: “Well, it’s not a guarantee that he will come.”
Foden needs to reinvent himself – now might be the perfect time
Analysis by Sky Sports’ Laura Hunter:
Phil Foden’s decline felt sudden last year, off the back of a season’s best campaign in 2023/24. He was heralded as the next big thing in football. In fairness, he had become the Premier League’s first English player of the season since Jamie Vardy in 2016.
The assumption was that he would carry that excellent form into England’s Euro 2024 bid, but, despite starting every game, he failed to register a single goal contribution.
His dismal stats went viral after the tournament and his struggles since will surely mean he has a battle on his hands to even be selected for Thomas Tuchel’s squad this summer.
Now 25, Foden has exhibited flashes since his ‘big break’ season but consistency has failed him. Pep Guardiola has come to his aid a few times in press conferences, insisting he’s still a “top, top player”, but it’s clear the Spaniard no longer trusts him in big games, if at all.
Foden has long been surpassed by Rayan Cherki and others. Young Nico O’Reilly has even been preferred in midfield ahead of him.
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Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola remains tight-lipped about comments made by Rodri about a possible future move to Real Madrid and adds that he is not concerned by the form of ‘six-time Premier League champion’ Phil Foden.
His 21 Premier League starts have yielded seven goals and three assists this season, but one solitary assist since the turn of the year smacks of a player devoid of all confidence. There were hints of a return in late November-early December, scoring six times in five appearances, but again that didn’t last.
Given the context, a new deal therefore seems bizarrely timed. And yet there is some logic to it. Man City will be saying goodbye to Bernardo Silva this summer, leaving a big void in midfield and Guardiola is also rumoured to be edging towards an exit. Suddenly, Foden feels like a necessary piece. A bit of continuity with Mancunian roots.
There is still a player in there somewhere. Perhaps it’ll be up to a new head coach to unlock that quality in what has the potential to be his peak years. Surely that’s a risk worth taking…
