Phil Foden to Coventry City? Pundit tips shock move | OneFootball

TalkSPORT pundit Adrian Durham has tipped Manchester City playmaker Phil Foden to complete a shock move to newly-promoted Coventry City

Coventry City owner Doug King will be carefully running the rule in the coming weeks and months as he prepares to help Frank Lampard assemble a squad capable of competing in the Premier League after winning the 2025/26 Championship title in emphatic fashion.

Following a number of near-misses, the Sky Blues went all the way to romp to the title eleven points clear of second-placed Ipswich Town, amassing a total of 95 points and ending a 25-year exile from English football's top-flight.

Lampard has been backed in the transfer market since replacing Mark Robins at the CBS Arena in November 2024, and King will be digging deep in his pockets once again this summer in a bid to help Coventry stave off relegation in their first season back in the big time.

The Sky Blues owner has offered suggestions on how the window may look for City, who won't necessarily be ripping apart the squad which won promotion in the first place but will naturally be investing and addressing key areas to cope with the intensified demands of Premier League football.

The regular Championship campaign may be freshly concluded, although the rumour mill already appears to be in full swing at Coventry ahead of returning to the top-flight and a number of players have been linked with moves to the second-tier champions including Tottenham Hotspur playmaker James Maddison, Manchester United's Mason Mount, Lois Openda of Juventus and in-form Republic of Ireland frontman Troy Parrott.

It will be interesting to observe how exactly the window unfolds at Coventry, and while there are some deals that will naturally be some way out-of-reach for Lampard's side, that hasn't prevented them from being tipped to make a shock move for Manchester City starlet Phil Foden in a head-turning new claim.

Adrian Durham drops shock Phil Foden, Coventry City transfer claim

This transfer plea has been sent by talkSPORT pundit Adrian Durham, who, in an unexpected twist, has urged Foden to join newly-promoted Coventry this summer despite recently agreeing a new four-year contract in principle to extend his stay at the Etihad Stadium.

The 49-cap England international has racked up more than 350 appearances for Man City after graduating through the club's youth ranks, establishing his worth as a key performer for both club and country over the years.

In that time, the versatile playmaker - who has starred both out wide and through the middle in the Premier League - has won six league titles, five EFL Cups, two FA Cups and the 2022/23 UEFA Champions League, scoring 110 goals and laying on a further 63 across all competitions.

Foden is, however, yet to return to the dizzying heights of his 27-goal haul in the 2023/24 season and has struggled for consistent form over the last two campaigns under Pep Guardiola.

The 25-year-old has not scored in any competitions since the middle of December and has recently lost his place in the pecking order behind in-form teammates such as Rayan Cherki, Jeremy Doku and marquee January signing Antoine Semenyo.

Either way, it would appear as though his immediate future remains at Man City - but that's not quite how Durham sees it.

When addressing Foden's current situation on talkSPORT, the pundit slammed Foden for penning a new contract when he's out of favour and believes that, while it's incredibly unlikely, he should seal a move to Coventry and learn exactly what it takes to consistently perform at an elite level under Lampard.

"What is the next step for Phil Foden?" Durham explained.

"The next step isn't signing a new contract at Manchester City for more of the same.

"Rayan Cherki is there, he's not going to give up his place to you easily. There are wingers there who are better than you, (Antoine) Semenyo and (Jeremy) Doku are not going to give up their places easily.

"So Foden is a sub at best. I do not understand why he has signed a new contract.

"Here's what he should've done this summer, and maybe this might happen. I might be proved wrong here, I doubt it.

Soccer Football - Premier League - Fulham v Manchester City - Craven Cottage, London, Britain - May 11, 2024 Fulham's Bobby Decordova-Reid in action with Manchester City's Phil Foden Action Images via Reuters/Paul Childs EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NO USE WITH UNAUTHORIZED AUDIO, VIDEO, DATA, FIXTURE LISTS, CLUB/LEAGUE LOGOS OR 'LIVE' SERVICES. ONLINE IN-MATCH USE LIMITED TO 120 IMAGES, NO VIDEO EMULATION. NO USE IN BETTING, GAMES OR SINGLE CLUB/LEAGUE/PLAYER PUBLICATIONS.

"He should've sought a move to Coventry. He might still go on loan.

"Go to Coventry and be an absolute star, rip it up and keep them up in the Premier League at least or take them to unbelievable heights in their first season back, and while you're there, learn everything you need to know about being a top footballer at the top level for a long time from Frank Lampard.

"In the meantime, congratulations Phil Foden. You've had a great career, but it's fizzled out a bit now."

Coventry City have a huge Frank Lampard transfer advantage

Although Lampard's legendary expertise in the game and wealth of elite-level knowledge will be nowhere near enough to prompt any potential deal for a player of Foden's class and standing, it's an interesting point of discussion which can be taken out of this particular context and used to represent an undeniable advantage Coventry will have over similarly-placed clubs in this summer's window.

The opportunity to play under and learn from Lampard helped Coventry land top targets in the Championship, while his ability to elevate performance and potential has shone through. Attacking midfielder Jack Rudoni has been a prime example of precisely that, and many other players will be taking stock and hoping to benefit from the Chelsea icon's tutelage.

It all means that King needs to give Lampard the backing he requires throughout the window and trust his judgments with prospective recruits, who, as a result of his presence, may well be more inclined to move to the West Midlands over other clubs.

Foden, however, simply isn't going to fall into that bracket. A move away from Man City feels unlikely in any case quite just yet, and even if he is on his way out, you can bet your last penny it won't be to Coventry.