Why Manchester City handing Phil Foden a new contract is the right move
According to 90min.com (h/t The Sun), Manchester City starlet Phil Foden is in line to receive a massive pay raise that could quintuple his current salary at the club. He is likely to sign the new contract in the coming weeks.
The England international currently pockets £30,000-a-week, but could see it raised to £150,000-a-week once he puts pen to paper on the new deal. (h/t The Sun)
Profile
Foden is a 20-year-old English midfielder who plays for Manchester City. He is a product of the Cityzens’ academy and has been a part of that since he was eight years old.
Regarded as the crown jewel of the youth setup, Foden was so prolific for the U18’s that Pep Guardiola fast-tracked him into the senior team. In 29 appearances at U-18 level, he scored 14 goals and assisted 7 more. (h/t Transfermarkt)
While Foden was a part of the squad in 2016, he had to wait till November 2017 for his first-team debut. He came off the bench against Feyenoord. Since then, he has racked up 77 games for the Mancunian outfit, registering 17 goals and 13 assists. (h/t Transfermarkt)
Foden had been a massive part of England’s youth teams, especially the U-17’s. He was the standout performer in the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2017 as England went on to clinch the trophy. The Golden Ball was awarded to him. He made his senior debut for the Three Lions during last month’s international break.
Why a new contract was a no-brainer
It may seem a bit too much to hand a contract worth £150,000 per week to a 20-year-old, but Foden isn’t just any 20-year-old. The Englishman is City’s crown jewel. For a team that has struggled to keep their academy players and draft them into the first team, Foden is an oddity.
Foden is Manchester born and bred. At 20 years, Foden has stepped on the field with the game’s greats and gone toe-to-toe with them too. He has shown talent that belies his tender age.
With David Silva leaving the club after so long, it would have worried the club as well as Guardiola. That has not been the case with Foden stepping up and showing at every opportunity that he can be the successor to the Spaniard.
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Verdict
Foden’s dribbling, playmaking and eye for goals are just some of the things you can marvel at. Early into the new season, the 20-year-old has already shown that he can step into the huge shoes left vacant by David Silva, racking up two goals and an assist in three appearances.
Based on the how he has shone in his burgeoning career, Foden has a bright future ahead of him. And handing him a new bumper deal to tie down his long-term future at the club is absolutely the right move by Manchester City.
