Update on Phil Foden's Man City future amid frustrations over playing time
By Tom Gott
Manchester City starlet Phil Foden is not contemplating leaving the club, despite growing concerned by his lack of minutes under Pep Guardiola.
Now 20 years old, Foden has made 18 appearances in all competitions this season, but he has started just five Premier League games, four of which came in City's first four games of the campaign.
It recently emerged that Foden is unhappy with his limited role at the Etihad Stadium this year, and Spanish giants Real Madrid are rumoured to be keen on luring the Englishman away next summer with the promise of more football.
However, The Telegraph state that Foden remains fully committed to City, and while he has grown frustrated with his lack of minutes, he is focused on proving to Guardiola that he deserves more game time.
Foden has an incredibly positive relationship with Guardiola, who has always shown faith in the midfielder by playing in him big games from a young age, and he recognises that he still needs to improve to force his way into a midfield which also contains the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, Rodri, Fernandinho and Ilkay Gundogan.
Foden also recognises that Guardiola has tried to give him minutes this season by deploying him as a wide forward, although the 20-year-old would prefer to see minutes as a central attacking midfielder and still hopes to nail down that spot in the City team.
There is no desire to leave the club just yet, and given he remains under contract until 2024, City are under no immediate pressure either, and both sides are committed to working together to find a positive outcome.
The idea of a move to Real next summer always seemed a little bizarre anyway. Los Blancos don't have much money to spend on anyone not named Kylian Mbappe, and it's not like Foden was ever going to come cheap.
Having said that, it's one of those that will be worth keeping an eye on. Foden will undoubtedly have seen a lot of his England youth teammates break through into the senior game, with the development of former City teammate Jadon Sancho an obvious comparison, so it's not hard to see why Foden may be growing frustrated.
If nothing changes, Foden may find himself edging closer to the exit door at the Etihad, but for the time being, it seems as though the 20-year-old is fully focused on clawing his way back into the starting lineup.