Lifting 17 pieces of major silverware with his boyhood club and helping Manchester City to a maiden Champions League crown, Phil Foden has acquired quite the resume for a player who doesn’t turn 26 until May.
However, now remarkably considered as a real dark horse to feature for England at this summer’s World Cup over in North America, Foden has also become a figure of frustration among the City fanbase.
Watching their Premier League title dreams take a major dent in midweek and now facing a monumental uphill battle in the race to dethrone Arsenal, City’s superstar academy graduate has become somewhat of a forgotten figure at the Etihad.
With Foden’s current deal at his boyhood club set to expire at the end of the 2026/27 campaign, both Man City and Pep Guardiola have a potential decision to make this summer.
Watching new recruit Rayan Cherki continue to relish life among England’s elite since arriving from Lyon, Foden has become a bit part player so far this calendar year.
Foden’s nightmare start to 2026
Registering six goals in his five appearances across all competitions on either side of opening December, it certainly appeared that Foden was getting back to his tantalising best.
However, now failing to find the net in any of his last 18 consecutive appearances for the Sky Blues, the 25-year-old has failed to find any kind of fluidity over the past 18 months.
Registering just seven Premier League goals last season as City signed off the 2024/25 campaign without a single piece of silverware to show for their efforts, Foden has faced some backlash from fans around the blue half of Manchester.
Failing to establish himself as a regular part of Thomas Tuchel’s squad, it is hard to see how Foden is on the plane to this summer’s World Cup.
With the likes of Arsenal’s Eberechi Eze and Nottingham Forest skipper Morgan Gibbs-White firmly ahead of City’s academy graduate in Tuchel’s midfield pecking order, Foden has almost become one of England’s forgotten superstars.
While Guardiola might have stated back in December that he is desperate for Foden’s long-term future to be sorted, The Athletic reported on Saturday that discussions could be far more complex given his minimal role at the Etihad.
🚨🔵 Pep Guardiola confirms plan for Phil Foden new deal: “You’re right, we want him to stay for many years”.
“Hopefully he can stay all his career. He’s a special player, a Man City fan, from the Academy…”. pic.twitter.com/WDndN8t8Sr
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) December 2, 2025
The emergence of Cherki
Watching Kevin De Bruyne end his record-breaking decade tenure at the Etihad last summer, Manchester City always knew the importance of trying to find a replacement for the Belgium icon.
Completing a £30million move to the blue half of Manchester back in June, Cherki has certainly proven to be one of the summer’s smartest pieces of business.
Receiving a string of public praise from Guardiola, the former Lyon starlet has immediately taken to Premier League football and his high-profile emergence has significantly marginalised Foden.
Forming a clinical partnership with striking superstar Erling Haaland, Cherki has already registered 20 direct goal contributions across all competitions (nine goals, 11 assists).
In fact, only Manchester United skipper Bruno Fernandes (14), has recorded more Premier League assists than the 11 that Cherki has produced this season.
Quickly establishing himself as one of the first names on Guardiola’s team sheet, the former Barcelona boss has frequently made compassions to De Bruyne and has stressed the leading role he expects Cherki to play in the final third.
A dazzling display from Rayan Cherki 💫@ManCity pic.twitter.com/XTjDe81Hvz
— Premier League (@premierleague) February 28, 2026