Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola insists teenager Phil Foden will not be leaving the club on loan in January.
The midfielder started and scored in City’s 7-0 FA Cup win over Rotherham United at the weekend but has played just 618 minutes across 16 appearances this season.
Will Foden make it at Man City? Five key things to know…
- Foden is a graduate of Manchester City’s academy and has been tipped to be a great for club and country.
- However, the 18-year-old has started just six games this season including three in the League Cup, leading questions to be asked over his immediate future.
- Foden scored his first home goal for the club in City’s FA Cup third round win over Rotherham.
- Speaking after the game, City manager Guardiola insisted there is no chance of Foden leaving on loan in January.
- Foden has scored two goals for Manchester City, both coming this season.
As a result, Foden has been linked with a loan move away from City, but Guardiola is adamant the teenager is going nowhere.
“Phil Foden loan? No way! No way, impossible,” he told reporters (via Sky Sports).
“He’s going to stay with us many, many years. Impossible [that Foden could leave in January]. Believe me, if he plays, it’s because we believe he can play.”
Guardiola went on to insist Foden gets game time because he deserves it, not because he is a fan of the club and an academy product.
He added: “We are not here to be nice people to bring him on the pitch because he’s a Manchester City fan or is a nice guy. It’s because we believe he can do it.
“He’s made mistakes and done good things – that’s part of the process. Nobody was born knowing everything.”
City currently have 27 players out on loan, but in the past 18 months have lost two of their most promising young players.
First, Jadon Sancho left for Borussia Dortmund last season where he has since flourished, earning a senior cap for England. And now 19-year-old Brahim Diaz has joined Real Madrid.
Phil Foden, the Stockport Iniesta
Hopes are high at Manchester City for Foden to break into the first team, with the teenager regarded as one of England’s best young players – helping the Three Lions to the U17 World Cup in 2017.
The teenager has even been compared to Barcelona and Spain legend Andres Iniesta, though Guardiola – who worked with the Spaniard – had been quick to play it down.
Speaking in September, Guardiola said: “Wow. These are big, big words. I have said many times we are delighted with Phil,” Guardiola said (via ITV).
“I am not going to say he is going to become Andres Iniesta because it puts pressure on him, Iniesta is by far one of the best players I ever saw in my life so we cannot put the pressure on Phil.
“But he has the quality to stay here for 10 years because I think he wants to stay, I think the club wants him to. But step by step, he needs to play regularly, but I think he has all the skills to play with us.”
Foden also commented on the links, saying: “Yeah, I am happy about that. But Iniesta, come on, he is on a different planet, so for them to call me that is massive, it means a lot.”
The post “No way!” – Guardiola rules out Foden January loan appeared first on Squawka News.
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