Pep Guardiola has made it clear to his successor at Manchester City that Phil Foden must never be sold, regardless of the offer. Guardiola will step down as City manager after Sunday's final Premier League match against Aston Villa, taking a break from football management. Former Chelsea boss and ex-City assistant Enzo Maresca is expected to take over.
During his glittering 10-year reign, Guardiola won 20 trophies and nurtured several exceptional young players, with Foden chief among them. Guardiola identified the homegrown playmaker as a future star long before he cemented his place in the first team, viewing him as the natural successor to club legend David Silva. He famously declared he would not part with the then-teenager for €500 million (£430 million).
In the book 'Pep's City: The Making of a Superteam', Guardiola stated: "We didn't give Foden a new contract by accident. He is the only player that can't be sold under any circumstances, the only one. Not even for 500 million euros. Phil's going nowhere, Phil IS City. We won't be signing anyone else for that position. When David Silva leaves, we know exactly who our new magician will be."
Guardiola warmed to Foden early in his tenure, predicting he would become "one of the Premier League's best." He added: "One thing is clear, Foden has a place in City's first team. I'd be interested to see if a different manager would have given him his chance to develop or loaned him out. I don't like leaving him out of certain games but must think of the whole squad. Phil understands that."
The admiration is mutual. After last weekend's FA Cup final, Foden spoke about his manager's future: "To play with him now for so many years has been a blessing. He's certainly helped my game. I'm really happy that he's still here at the moment and let's see what happens at the end of the season. Hopefully, he can be here next season."
Since then, it has been confirmed that Guardiola will not be at the club next season. It has been a difficult week for Foden, who missed out on a place in Thomas Tuchel's World Cup squad. Despite Tuchel speaking highly of him and starting him in both March friendlies, the 25-year-old struggled to make his mark and ultimately missed the cut after a stop-start campaign.
Tuchel explained: "Phil was excellent in camp for us. He was not only excellent in training, but also off training. He was open, he was in good spirits. And it hurt me a lot, actually, to call him and to tell him this decision. I could see in his reaction how much it affects him, how much it would have meant for him to come."
Foden will aim to shake off his dejection when Guardiola's tenure concludes against Villa, before setting his sights on winning over Maresca, having already worked with the Italian during his time as a City assistant.
