“His agent, the club” – Pep Guardiola issues update on Phil Foden’s Manchester City contract | OneFootball

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has issued an update on the contract of Phil Foden at the Etihad Stadium, with the Englishman into his final 18 months of agreement.

As speculation grows around City’s long-term squad planning, Foden’s contractual situation has naturally become one of the latest talking points. The 25-year-old has been central to success in recent seasons and remains one of the club’s most important assets.

With the Premier League giants typically proactive in securing their top players to long-term deals, supporters have begun wondering why progress has been somewhat slow. Guardiola has never hidden admiration for Foden, who has developed into a decisive contributor in the biggest fixtures while also emerging as a leader in the dressing room.

The Catalan regularly highlights Foden’s tactical intelligence, relentless energy, and growing levels of responsibility, describing him as a player who embodies Manchester City’s style of play. Despite that affection, Guardiola has historically kept a healthy distance from contract negotiations, placing responsibility firmly on the club’s executives.

City’s hierarchy, meanwhile, remain aware that interest in Foden from across Europe is inevitable should talks drift into the final year of his deal. While there is no suggestion that the player is considering his future elsewhere, the lack of concrete movement means every update from Guardiola carries weight.

Speaking during a recent press conference, Pep Guardiola was quizzed on whether there was any further update on City’s attempts at tying down Phil Foden to a new and improved long-term contract.

“You are right [that we want him to stay for many years]. Completely right,” said the Catalan coach.

When further pushed on the idea of an update on the situation, he said, “No idea, but hopefully he can stay all his career here.

“He’s a special player, a Man City fan, from the Academy, so no doubts about that. But I don’t know him, his agent, the Club, I don’t know.”

Guardiola was further asked on Foden’s ability to become one of the club’s leading goalscorers in a single season, to which he said, “He’s done it in the past. Phil, in the year we won the last Premier League, the fourth in a row, he was the best player and he scored a lot and assists.

“But that’s the truth; the years we won success, not just the strikers, but especially all the wingers and attacking midfielders, especially one year from [Ilkay] Gundo, the year of the Treble, scored a lot of goals. We need that.”

The manager’s admission that he has “no idea” where things stand suggests negotiations are taking place above him, handled between club executives, Foden, and his representatives. His hope that Foden spends his entire career at the Etihad, however, is a clear indication of the player’s value to the project.

Looking forward, City will likely prioritise securing Foden’s long-term commitment before the final year of his contract begins to loom too closely. Not only would a new deal reinforce stability within Guardiola’s squad, but it would also send a strong message about the club’s continued reliance on the player the heart of their success.

For now, the situation remains calm, but the longer talks remain unresolved, the louder the discussion will grow. And with Foden entering his peak years, City know securing his future may be one of the most important pieces of business they complete this season.