Phil Foden agrees new Manchester City contract in principle amid mixed season and England questions

Contract agreement in principle points to long-term future

Phil Foden and Manchester City have agreed terms in principle on a new four-year contract, a move that would extend the midfielder’s stay at his boyhood club well beyond his current deal. The 25-year-old is approaching the final year of his existing terms, which are due to expire in the summer of 2027, and the new agreement is expected to commit him to City until 2030. The proposed contract also includes an option to extend by a further year.

While the final details still need to be completed, the outline is clear: City are preparing to secure one of their academy graduates for the long term. For Foden, it represents a significant statement of intent at a moment when his club form has been debated and his international prospects have been questioned.

From academy debut to major honours

Foden’s story at City is closely tied to the club’s modern era. Having progressed through the academy, he made his senior debut aged 17 in 2017. Since then, he has been part of a team that has collected the biggest domestic prizes and reached the summit of European football.

Across his time in the first team, Foden has won six Premier League titles, the Champions League, two FA Cups and five Carabao Cups. Those trophies underline his involvement in sustained success, even as his role has shifted across seasons and his responsibilities have changed within a squad packed with attacking and midfield options.

• Senior debut: aged 17 in 2017
• Major honours with City: six Premier League titles, the Champions League, two FA Cups, five Carabao Cups

This season’s output: appearances, goals and assists

In the current campaign, Foden has recorded 10 goals and five assists in 46 appearances in all competitions. In the Premier League specifically, his 21 starts have produced seven goals and three assists. Those numbers show he has still contributed, but the broader picture around his season has been shaped by inconsistency and reduced influence as the year has progressed.

There were signs of a surge at one stage. A run in late November and early December saw him score six times in five appearances, suggesting a player capable of quickly changing the narrative. However, that momentum did not last. Since the turn of the year, he has managed one solitary assist, a statistic that has been interpreted as evidence of a player struggling for confidence.

A peak in 2023/24, followed by a more difficult stretch

The new contract agreement arrives not long after what was described as the best season of Foden’s career. In 2023/24, he won Premier League Player of the Season and PFA Players’ Player of the Year, a set of individual accolades that reflected both performance and reputation. That campaign raised expectations that he would build on his form and become an even more central figure for club and country.

Yet the subsequent period has been more complicated. Foden has contributed fewer goals and assists across the last two seasons combined, and he has lost his place as a regular starter in Pep Guardiola’s side. His last goal for City came in December, a detail that has become a reference point when discussing his recent output.

Even with his overall season totals, the contrast between the heights of 2023/24 and the challenges of the current season has been stark. The sense of a sudden decline has been part of the conversation around him, particularly given the expectations created by his award-winning year.

Changing role at City and competition for minutes

Foden’s reduced status as a regular starter has been tied to both form and the competitive landscape within the squad. The discussion around his place has included references to other players being preferred in midfield at times, underlining how quickly opportunities can shift at a club with City’s depth.

Guardiola has publicly backed Foden, describing him as a “top, top player” in press conferences. Still, there is an acknowledgement in the wider assessment that the manager has not relied on him as heavily in the biggest matches recently. That tension—between the manager’s stated belief in the player’s quality and the on-pitch reality of selection—has framed much of the debate about where Foden stands right now.

England scrutiny and Tuchel’s assessment

At international level, Foden has also faced a challenging period. England head coach Thomas Tuchel raised doubts about Foden’s inclusion at the World Cup this summer after the player disappointed during the last international break.

Foden was the only player in England’s expanded squad to start both March friendlies. He played as a No 10 against Uruguay and as a false nine against Japan, but did not impress in either role. Tuchel’s comments focused as much on the gap between training and match impact as on the specific positions Foden occupied.

When asked whether the 49-cap forward had taken his opportunity, Tuchel said: “He tried everything. I would say he was excellent in camp but, yeah, he struggles to show it on the pitch.” Tuchel also pointed to Foden’s recent lack of minutes at City, adding: “Obviously he didn’t have a lot of minutes for City recently, then he came to camp with the brightest smile and was so good in training.”

Tuchel explained that he had expected Foden’s training form to translate into games: “And I thought he will just surprise us and will play with the same verve and excitement but, yeah, he struggles to have the full impact.”

Pressed on whether it places doubts against Foden’s inclusion for the World Cup, Tuchel added: “Well, it’s not a guarantee that he will come.”

Euro 2024: starts without a goal contribution

The questions around Foden’s international output have been sharpened by his Euro 2024 campaign. Despite starting every game, he failed to register a single goal contribution. That detail has been repeatedly cited as evidence that his club form did not carry into the tournament in the way many expected after his standout 2023/24 season.

With his tournament statistics widely discussed, the pressure has only increased as he has struggled to find consistent form for City since then. The combination of a quieter Euro 2024 and a stop-start season at club level has left him facing a fight not just for his best form, but also for certainty around his role for England.

Why a new deal now can still make sense

On the surface, agreeing a new contract during a period of reduced influence can look oddly timed. The debate has been framed around that tension: a player who has not matched his previous peak, and a club prepared to extend his deal for several more years.

However, there is also an internal logic to City securing Foden’s future. The club is expected to say goodbye to Bernardo Silva this summer, which would leave a significant void in midfield. In that context, keeping a player who has already delivered at the highest level—and who has deep ties to the club—offers continuity.

There has also been speculation that Guardiola could be edging towards an exit. In periods of potential transition, clubs often value stability, and a long-term commitment from a homegrown player can serve as an anchor amid change. From that perspective, Foden’s agreement in principle can be read as a strategic decision as much as a reward for recent form.

• Foden is expected to sign until 2030, with an option for an additional year
• His current contract runs to summer 2027
• City are facing potential midfield change with Bernardo Silva expected to leave this summer

What the agreement says about City’s belief in Foden

City’s willingness to move toward a long-term renewal suggests the club still sees Foden as a key part of its future. That belief is grounded in what he has already shown: an ability to contribute goals and assists, experience of title races and major finals, and a proven peak level that earned him the Premier League’s top individual award and the PFA Players’ Player of the Year in 2023/24.

It also reflects the idea that form can fluctuate, particularly for players who have been in the spotlight since their teenage years. At 25, Foden is not being treated as a prospect, but he is still at an age where clubs often expect players to enter their prime. The contract agreement in principle therefore reads as a bet on his capacity to rediscover consistency and re-establish himself as a decisive figure.

The immediate challenge: turning flashes into sustained impact

The central issue for Foden is not whether he can produce moments—his late November to early December scoring run showed that clearly—but whether he can sustain that level across months. The current season has included goals and assists, yet the narrative has been dominated by the drop-off after December and the limited contributions since the turn of the year.

For City, the challenge is to integrate him in a way that maximises his strengths while navigating the competition for places. For England, the question is whether he can translate strong training performances into match-winning influence, something Tuchel has openly said he has struggled to do recently.

With a new contract expected to be signed, the focus will inevitably shift from the timing of the deal to what comes next: whether this commitment marks the start of a renewed chapter, or simply a long-term vote of confidence that still needs to be justified on the pitch.

Key points at a glance

• Foden and City have agreed terms in principle on a new four-year contract.
• The deal is expected to run until 2030, with an option for a further year.
• His current terms are due to expire in summer 2027.
• He has won six Premier League titles, the Champions League, two FA Cups and five Carabao Cups with City.
• This season: 46 appearances in all competitions, with 10 goals and five assists.
• His last City goal came in December; he has one assist since the turn of the year.
• Tuchel said World Cup selection is “not a guarantee” after a disappointing international break.