EXCLUSIVE: Phil Foden agrees a new long-term contract at Manchester City that will tie the England star down down for six years and see him more than quadruple his current £30,000-a-week deal
- Phil Foden is set to sign a new contract with the champions ahead of new season
- The Englishman has grown to become one of the club’s most important players
- Former academy star set to sign terms keeping him at the club until 2027
Phil Foden has agreed a new long-term contract at Manchester City.
The development brings to an end a lengthy period of negotiation, with sources disclosing that a deal had been on the table for a number of months.
An announcement is expected in the coming days or early next week – but bosses at the Etihad Stadium are delighted with the news ahead of the new season.
Phil Foden is on the verge of signing a new long-term deal with Manchester City until 2028
A homegrown star, Stockport-born Foden, 22, excelled last season for both club and country and is the poster boy for City’s academy.
The new deal is expected to tie him down for six years and see him more than quadruple the basic £30,000-a-week contract he signed in 2018.
It will make him one of the highest-paid young players on the planet.
The deal comes amid quite a tumultuous period for City’s forward areas, with Raheem Sterling having been allowed to leave this summer and rumours of Bernardo Silva moving to Barcelona not going away.
The young Englishman has established himself as a key player for the club under Pep Guardiola
Foden appeared in 28 league games last season, scoring nine times and assisting a further five. Only six outfield players played more minutes for the club last term.
His stellar Premier League form was rewarded with his second PFA Young Player of the Year award, seeing him beat off competition from the likes of Bukayo Saka and Reece James.
His importance to the side was reflected in his starting various crucial games last season, including in both the away and home fixtures against Liverpool as well as both legs of City’s Champions League semi-final tie against Real Madrid. Indeed, in Europe only three players scored more times than the Englishman for City.
His form, both domestically and in Europe last season, is likely to be reflected in the terms of his deal
The contract comes ahead of a crucial campaign for the young man, with City bidding to win their fifth league title under Guardiola as well as continuing to chase the so-far elusive Champions League crown. Foden is also likely to play a crucial role in Gareth Southgate’s plans for the World Cup in Qatar.
Guardiola recently gave an interview to City’s in-house media channel in which he spoke of his admiration for Foden and how he immediately noticed how much talent the young player had when he arrived in 2016.
He said: ‘We saw from the beginning how talented he is and we thought from the beginning this guy cannot be loaned.
‘He will be with us, training with David Silva, Vincent [Kompany], with Sergio [Aguero], with all the players who had a lot of experience and who would help him with his development.’
Guardiola recently singled out Foden and Kevin De Bruyne for praise in a recent interview
He added: ‘There was no patience [needed] because immediately he was involved and playing 90 minutes. Now he’s a reality.
‘Phil handles the pressure,’ Guardiola added. ‘He is still enjoying playing football and feels he can improve.’
On Sunday, Foden watched on with England team-mate Mason Mount as the Lionesses won the Euro 2022 Final at Wembley.
Foden was at Wembley on Sunday to watch the Lionesses defeat Germany 2-1 to win the women’s Euro 2022
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