It’s safe to say that Phil Foden’s decline was far from expected heading into the 2024/2025 season.
However, much like Riyad Mahrez and Eden Hazard in the following campaigns after they won the PFA Players’ Player of The Year award in 2016 and 2015 respectively, the Manchester City midfielder has looked like a shadow of his former self.
Last season, Phil Foden was the fulcrum to a City side that won the Premier League title and looked set to cement his status as a bona fide world-class player for years to come.
While even big names within the game like Ryan Giggs expects Foden to bounce back, even Pep Guardiola must be gobsmacked about the 24-year-old’s fall from grace.
Manchester City are expected to sign Morgan Gibbs-White — who is valued at £100 million by Nottingham Forest as the Sky Blues do not seem willing to merely hand the responsibility of replacing Kevin De Bruyne solely on Foden’s shoulders.
Phil Foden could be reborn at Man City if they sign Morgan Gibbs-White
Florian Wirtz is attracting Manchester City’s attention alongside Morgan Gibbs-White to help succeed De Bruyne — a move that would certainly motivate Foden to up his game next season.
Regardless of whether Manchester City land Wirtz, it is Morgan Gibbs-White who could end up being Foden’s saving grace for multiple reasons.
First things first, Gibbs-White and Foden are close friends and the latter might feel much more at home if one of his best mates trains and plays with him on a regular basis at City.
Secondly, Manchester City admire Gibbs-White’s profile as they believe he can bring energy to their midfield as a number eight — which would especially help the Stockport-born technician as his countryman may not be set to compete with him for a starting place in the attacking midfield role.
Furthermore, the Nottingham Forest attacker is one of the best passers in the Premier League and one reason Foden has struggled as much as he has this season is due to not receiving as many passes between he lines this campaign due to Rodri’s absence — allowing him to turn on the ball and weave his magic.
Additionally, Foden and Gibbs-White already have a strong relationship on the pitch as well, having played in tandem at the U-17 World Cup which England won — a factor that could aid Manchester City.
An upturn in form for the six-time Premier League winner would not only make him an automatic starter in Pep Guardiola’s eyes but potentially also in Thomas Tuchel’s for the Three Lions.
Currently, Tuchel might not be fancying Foden due to the likes of Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers and Gibbs-White outperforming him this season but he still has the chance to enter the German’s good books.
Pep Guardiola predicted how Phil Foden will perform next season
Foden has had physical problems this season, which could explain why he has had the season he has had.
Pep Guardiola told beIN SPORTS Philippines after the 0-0 draw between Manchester City and Manchester United that he expects Foden to return to his best — and with Gibbs-White looking set to join, the Catalan could be more confident than ever.
“No, I’m not agreeing [that Foden is lacking confidence]. Listen, when the team is not playing at the level and the standard we had, looks like everyone is not what they were. Phil has no doubts, I see it in every training session, the passion he puts, the smile on his face, it is what I want, playing like he did today.”
“Of couse, the impact has not been [the best], but not from Phil. If you see the numbers in the last four, five, six years with the many players that have been here, this season, we’ve dropped incredibly. And it’s all of them. It’s not one, one would be easy. It’s all of them.”
Guardiola concluded: “And that’s why were struggling to create or win games and so on and the quality is there. But sometimes, in a long career, always you have seasons where you are not [in form]. Maybe last season, right at the peak in terms of being the best player of the Premier League. He won the Premier League in the last games, you remember [the last game] against West Ham. He won the game with two goals and his impact was incredible. He will be back.”
