‘Pep’s lad’ Foden lands new six-year contract
Phil Foden, Manchester City’s teenage prodigy, will sign a new six-year contract with the Premier League champions today.
The England Under-21 midfielder was going to be out of contract at the end of next season but his new deal will tie him to the Etihad Stadium until June 2024.
Widely regarded as one of the country’s most exciting young prospects, Foden had been linked with Paris St-germain, Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig among a number of other sides, but the 18-year-old had no intention of leaving his boyhood club and is determined to nail down a regular first-team place under Pep Guardiola.
Talks over the new deal were resolved in a matter of weeks and Foden will became the latest in a long line of City players to commit their long-term futures to the club.
Foden has made 13 appearances for City this season but he has yet to start a Premier League match for the club. Nonetheless, he is considered to be the most talented youngster the club have produced since Sheikh Mansour’s takeover a decade ago and is affectionately referred to as “Pep’s lad” by his City team-mates given Guardiola’s fondness for the player.
The City manager is coming under growing pressure to play Foden more regularly but is adamant his development will be handled carefully. Foden, while eager to start more regularly, has complete trust in Guardiola, whose main concern around the promotion of academy youngsters has been the absence of a competitive second team.