“I am not sure” – Phil Foden indicates uncertainty over role in Manchester City’s new-look squad | OneFootball

Phil Foden admits that he is not entirely certain on where he will be utilised by Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola this season.

The England international was a standout performer during the club’s record-breaking 2023/24 campaign, winning the Premier League Player of the Year award as Manchester City surged to a fourth successive league title.

Yet despite his individual brilliance and positional flexibility, Foden now enters the new campaign with questions lingering over how Pep Guardiola will structure his midfield, particularly in light of evolving dynamics within the squad and the Stockport-born playmaker’s difficulties during the last campaign.

Much of that uncertainty revolves around the gradual transition away from a team built around Kevin De Bruyne to one where others – including Foden – are expected to assume greater creative responsibility.

In parallel, City’s transfer activity and other developments have brought additional competition and reshaped options available to Pep Guardiola. The summer arrival of Tijjani Reijnders from AC Milan, along with the return to fitness of Rodri and Oscar Bobb, may mean Foden’s role – whether central or wide – could depend on how these pieces are deployed.

Speaking to reporters at the City Football Academy on Tuesday, Phil Foden admitted a sense of uncertainty over his role in the Manchester City squad this season, but did insist that he is not here to ‘replicate’ the achievements of Kevin De Bruyne.

“I am not sure where the manager sees me this year, I can play in different positions but we all know my position is the insides, in the pockets, so let us see what happens,” Foden said.

“I am not here to replicate what Kev [De Bruyne] did because we all know how good he was and what he did for the club,” he continued. “It is about trying my best, getting to the level where I won Player of the Year, I want to get back to that.

“You can only train and get back to it, that is what I am trying to do.”

One player who will certainly have a huge impact on any improvements seen by Manchester City this season will be Rodri, who is hoping to return to full fitness and availability off the back of his serious knee injury sustained early last campaign.

“Obviously it is going to take him a bit of a while to get back to his full fitness and sharpness because it is such a long injury but we all know what Rodri can do. He’s unstoppable. Playing alongside him is unbelievable,” Foden said on the Spanish international.

“He just makes you feel secure. He doesn’t lose the ball and he does everything.”

Looking ahead, Foden’s versatility may become his biggest asset. With Pep Guardiola often favouring tactical flexibility and fluid formations, the 25-year-old could find himself alternating between a deeper midfield role and his more familiar wide-left position.

His ability to interpret space and link play could also be vital in matches where Kevin De Bruyne would usually be so effective, while with Manchester City expected to challenge on multiple fronts again this season, squad depth and rotation will be crucial.

Phil Foden’s continued evolution and clarity over his role could determine just how dominant Manchester City remain both domestically and in Europe, and while his comments suggest he is still finding his place in a shifting tactical puzzle, his ambition remains clear.