Phil Foden could be heading for the Manchester City exit door, after seven seasons in the first team
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Phil Foden has been one of the Premier League's standout players at Manchester City this season, but he could be set to make a shock exit in the summer transfer window.
In the absence of Kevin De Bruyne at the start of 2023/24, Foden stepped up to help Manchester City dominate teams in their usual way. His impressive return of 18 goals and 10 assists in 40 appearances for Pep Guardiola's side highlights his importance, while also
But the Manchester City forward could be tempted into a move away ahead of his eighth season in the first team, after winning everything available to him at his boyhood side.
Foden has shone for City this season (Image credit: Getty Images)
According to Spanish outlet Defensa Central, Real Madrid are working hard to persuade Phil Foden to join them this summer, after all but securing the signing of Kylian Mbappe on a free transfer from PSG.
The report suggests that Juni Calafat, Real Madrid's chief scout, is attempting to make a deal for the 23-year-old a reality, after identifying him as the next superstar to grace the Bernabeu pitch.
With Foden's England team-mate Jude Bellingham already thriving in the Spanish capital, he could be tempted to make the La Liga switch at the end of the current campaign.
Foden could be tempted to join Bellingham at Real Madrid (Image credit: Getty Images)
But he won't come cheap, with Foden's Manchester City contract not expiring until the summer of 2027. Transfermarkt also values him at £100m - though it would likely take a lot more to prise the Premier League's best player this term away from Pep Guardiola.
Get FourFourTwo Newsletter
The best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.
Despite that, though, Manchester City will allow wantaway players to leave, as evidenced through the sales of Leroy Sane, Raheem Sterling and Riyad Mahrez in recent seasons.
If Phil Foden does decide on moving to Real Madrid, competition for places would become even more than he currently experiences at Manchester City, too. Rodrygo, Vinicius Jr. and Bellingham are already at the club, while Mbappe and Endrick are set to join in the summer. Breaking into the first team, therefore, could prove even more difficult.
Ryan is a staff writer for FourFourTwo, joining the team full-time in October 2022. He first joined Future in December 2020, working across FourFourTwo, Golf Monthly, Rugby World and Advnture's websites, before eventually earning himself a position with FourFourTwo permanently. After graduating from Cardiff University with a degree in Journalism and Communications, Ryan earned a NCTJ qualification to further develop as a writer while a Trainee News Writer at Future.
