Phil Foden reaches agreement in principle over new Manchester City contract

Phil Foden is set to commit his future to Manchester City after reaching an agreement in principle with the club over a new long-term contract.

Foden’s existing terms are scheduled to expire in June 2027 and a fresh four-year deal will keep him at the Etihad Stadium until the summer of 2030, plus an option to extend by a further 12 months.

Although formalities still need to be completed before the 25-year-old attacking midfielder puts pen to paper, both parties’ desire to continue together means the extension should be finalised in due course.

Foden turned to the leading agent Rafaela Pimenta to help guide this important next stage of his career and the Brazilian intermediary has handled all negotiations with the Premier League side.

The England international joined City in their under-nine’s side and has made 365 senior appearances since breaking into the first team as a 17-year-old, registering 110 goals and 66 assists. In that time he has won six Premier League titles, one Champions League and two FA Cups.

This season he has scored ten goals and five assists over 46 games for Pep Guardiola’s side.

Foden played in England’s November World Cup qualifiers and both of the March friendlies, which marked Thomas Tuchel’s final squad before this summer’s tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

‘Another show of City’s faith in Foden’

Analysis by Manchester City correspondent Sam Lee

City have secured the future of their star academy player, whose contract was set to expire at the end of next season, and that seems like pretty good news.

Foden does find himself in a slightly curious situation, though, and it is tempting to wonder if other players would have got a contract — right now — in the same circumstances.

Foden has endured off-field struggles that have held back his performances for the majority of the past two seasons, and City have always been incredibly supportive in his attempts to put things right. The decision to extend the contract is another show of their faith in somebody who is truly important to the club, not just for what he can do on the pitch but for what he represents.

With his contract expiring in a year’s time, though, they have had to try to predict that Foden will get back to his sparkling best. Years ago, during John Stones’ struggles, the club were willing to wait until the final season of his contract to decide on how to handle his future, after a couple of difficult seasons. He shone and earned himself a new deal that had not seemed possible a year earlier.

City clearly have full belief that Foden will be a key player for the team in the years to come and have backed that up with a new deal, but there seems to be plenty of work to be done for that to become reality.