MY ACCOUNT
Manchester City have completed plenty of exciting business this summer — but their best signing could be tying Phil Foden to a new long-term deal.
The England international, 22, is set to sign a bumper new contract with the Citizens worth a reported £225,000 per week.
No one is guaranteed a spot in Pep Guardiola’s side. So is this the year Foden regularly dominates games — and which position will he nail down?
Ahead of City’s visit from Premier League new-boys Bournemouth, we answer those questions.
Key man
It was not that long ago that Guardiola’s use of Foden was called into question.
There were fears the so-called ‘Stockport Iniesta’ was not getting enough exposure to regular football and would be better served by a loan switch to a smaller club.
But Guardiola has relied increasingly on Foden. Last season he clocked more Premier League minutes (2,128) than ever and contributed to 25 goals in all competitions.
A graduate of City’s academy, Foden remains every bit as important to Guardiola’s plans as the club’s big-money signings.
The big question is where he will fit in.
Phil-ing in
There is an argument to be made that Foden is a victim of his versatility.
Although he predominantly played on the left-hand side of City’s front three last term, he still clocked fewer than 1,000 minutes in that role — 970 to be precise.
His next most-frequent position was through the middle of the attack as a false nine. He spent 886 minutes there as Guardiola regularly shuffled his pack.
On top of that, he also played on the right-hand side of the frontline, in the No10 role, at the base of midfield and in a deeper left-wing slot.
Foden is someone Guardiola can depend on in a variety of positions. But he has never made one his own.
Wing king
Foden might not be a victim of Pep roulette much longer though.
Raheem Sterling’s £47.5million switch to Chelsea means £100m man Jack Grealish will be expected to make the left-wing berth his own.
Foden, meanwhile, can secure the right-hand flank — which is where he started last Sunday’s win at West Ham — ahead of Riyad Mahrez.
And Guardiola expects that is where Foden will continue to get the majority of his minutes.
He said: “He can play in all five positions up front — winger on both sides, striker through the middle and in the pockets like an attacking midfielder.
“I think in time he will be more capable to play in positions in the middle, he still has all the actions, the high speed, so maybe now the wide positions suit him better.”
Numbers game
Statistically, Foden is already one of City’s most important and consistent performers.
Last season, only Belgian maestro Kevin De Bruyne (0.65) created more big chances per 90 minutes than the Three Lions ace (0.46).
He also led the way at the Etihad for crosses completed with 1.52.
Foden ranked fifth among his Citizens team-mates for shots on target per 90 minutes (0.93) and was sixth for successful take-ons (1.56).
Perhaps most importantly for Guardiola, he was behind only De Bruyne (1.34) for regains in the opposition’s third with 1.14 per 90 minutes — indicative of his tireless work-rate out of possession.
Central role
Foden will have to bide his time on the wing for now — but could his future lay elsewhere?
While the expected new deal will tie the technically gifted playmaker to City for the foreseeable future, his next move could be backwards and into central midfield.
That is where Guardiola sees Foden flourishing long term.
He said: “In the academy when I started to see him at 16 or 17 years old when I arrived here, he played in a position like Kevin [De Bruyne] and wow, he played really good but all the actions are so, so quick.
“It’s good as he is so aggressive and we need it but sometimes he needs a little bit, but that is a question of time.
“He can do it no problem, it’s just a question of time.”
