Man City star Phil Foden ‘will be signing fairly soon’
Manchester City have been tipped to avoid a situation similar to that of Trent Alexander-Arnold at Liverpool by tying one of their star players down to a new deal.
Alexander-Arnold completed a move to Real Madrid over the summer, after running down his contract with the Merseyside club.
The England international refused to sign a new deal at Anfield, which then allowed him to join Los Blancos on a free transfer.
Liverpool fans booed Alexander-Arnold before his departure as they felt he had betrayed his boyhood club with his actions, but we are unlikely to see a repeat of those unsavoury scenes at Man City anytime soon.
Phil Foden will agree new Man City contract
Everton’s former chief Keith Wyness – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – believes that Phil Foden will agree a new contract at Man City very soon.
Foden’s current deal at the Etihad runs out in the summer of 2027, but Guardiola’s side don’t want to risk letting it run into the final year.
Speaking on the new edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, Wyness insisted that there will be no repeat of the Alexander-Arnold situation with the City academy graduate, as both player and club are eager to agree an extension.
Wyness added that Foden’s recent return to form has made it even easier for the Manchester club to make a decision.
He told Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast: “I don’t think they will want to go into the last year of his contract because he seems to be coming back into form a little bit.
“He had a bit of a down patch, as we know, but he seems to be back in form. Things are going well for him. He isn’t going anywhere. He will renew a deal with City. I’m absolutely convinced of that, and that will get done pretty quickly.
“I don’t expect any issues around Phil Foden or any other big clubs coming in for him. I think he’s so settled at City that I don’t think anything can happen.
“With him getting back into form again, that will just make it even easier for them to make that decision. So I don’t expect the drama that we’ve seen with Trent Alexander-Arnold. I think Phil will be signing fairly soon.”
Man City open talks with another senior player
As well as Foden, Man City are set to open contract talks with John Stones, who sees his current deal run out at the end of the season.
Stones has been at the Etihad since his 2016 move from Everton, and has been a regular in Guardiola’s side when fit.
His injury record is worrying however, and in his nine seasons at City so far, he has only managed over 20 Premier League appearances in four of them.
Last term, Stones only featured in 11 league games for the Citizens, but Guardiola still sees the defender as a key figure, and one that he wants to keep around.
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