- Man City come to agreement with Phil Foden
- Attacker to recommit future to boyhood club
- Still practical work to do before contract signing
Phil Foden has agreed in principle to sign a new contract which will keep him at Manchester City beyond next summer.
Pep Guardiola has been playing Phil Foden far less as the season has progressed, leading to speculation over his future.
The 25-year-old has not been performing at his usual standards, and has been cast aside from the first-team in favour of Rayan Cherki and Antoine Semenyo.
However, it was reported yesterday that Man City had opened talks with Foden in hopes that he would extend his existing deal, which is due to expire in 2027.
Phil Foden agrees new Man City contract
It seems this discussion between the club and player have been a big success, as Foden has reportedly already come to an agreement with Man City.
According to The Athletic, an agreement in principle has been reached which will see the England international put pen to paper in the coming weeks.
The proposed four year renewal will last until 2030, and there is an option to extend it by a further 12 months.
All negotiations were handled by 25-year-old Brazilian agent Rafaela Pimenta, whose other clients include Erling Haaland and Sverre Nypan.
Foden has not been starting for Man City
Despite his fall down the pecking order, Foden has made 46 appearances for Man City in all competitions this season.
Still, many of these have been from off the bench, particularly in recent weeks. Indeed, it has been two months since the attacker started a Premier League match.
Foden’s only recent start came against Southampton in the FA Cup, and he was substituted after 58 minutes.
This combination of games spent on the bench and poor performances have caused questions to emerge about whether the star will go to the World Cup in the summer.
Something needs to change for Foden
Although Foden will be happy to remain at his boyhood club, there is no sense in signing a new contract only to keep on not playing.
Foden clearly needs a confidence boost, but he is not going to get this by coming on and spending 10 to 15 minutes on the pitch each week.
Every City match from now until the end of the season is a must-win fixture, so it does not seem likely that Guardiola will do much rotating with his squad.
Therefore, even if Foden goes through with this and signs a new long-term deal, there is no guarantee he will spend all those projected years at the Etihad Stadium.
