Pep Guardiola told to release Man City star he once said wouldn’t be sold for €500m

Pep Guardiola has been told to let Phil Foden leave Manchester City if he’s not going to be first-choice once he returns from injury. That’s the opinion of talkSPORT host Alan Brazil, who argued the England international is better than the other options at the Etihad. If Foden can rediscover his 2023/24 form, he could earn a World Cup spotGetty Foden has been hampered by a mixture of fitness and form issues for over a year since his standout 2023/24 campaign. Coming into Euro 2024 as the reigning PFA Players’ Player of the Year, the ‘Stockport Iniesta’ was earmarked as England’s talisman. Foden had just registered 19 Premier League goals and eight assists to help City lift a record fourth consecutive Premier League title. However, he failed to register a goal or assist at the Euros despite starting all seven of England’s games in their run to the final. That poor form continued into last season, where the 25-year-old only managed seven goals and two assists in the top-flight. A mark of his downturn has been that he was recently named as the biggest transfer market loser after enduring a £35m value hit. To compound his issues, Foden revealed off-field issues played a part in his ‘frustrating season’, as he pulled out of England duty in June. “I’m astonished he’s not playing at the moment, I really am,” Brazil told talkSPORT Breakfast on Thursday. “A couple of seasons ago, I thought, ‘What a player’. His energy levels, some of the goals he scored, were magnificent. “Could Phil really miss out on the World Cup next summer? I think it’d be a disaster if he did.” Foden hasn’t been able to hit the ground running this season ‘Wake-up call’ for Foden Foden, who last featured for England against Latvia in March, was accused of underperforming for his country by Stuart Pearce. A lack of fitness ruled him out of contention this month, with Jude Bellingham and Cole Palmer ahead of him in the pecking order. Morgan Rogers has since staked his claim to be an option in Tuchel’s No.10 role after impressing during England’s 5-0 thrashing of Serbia. Gabby Agbonlahor admitted: “It’s a bit of a wake-up call for him. “He’s had injury problems at the end of last season and at the start of this season, and has only made one appearance. Foden was once an automatic pick for both club and country “But if you look at his stats last season, 28 games in the Premier League, seven goals, two assists. The season before, when he won Player of the Season, was 35 appearances, 19 goals, eight assists. “He needs to get back to that sort of form for me to break into this England squad now. “Because I just look at the options they’ve got, and I look at [Eberechi] Eze. For me, he’s a starter at Arsenal. “Morgan Gibbs-White, a starter at Forest. Jude Bellingham, definitely a starter at Real Madrid. Cole Palmer, a starter at Chelsea. And Morgan Rogers is a starter at Aston Villa. “Phil Foden’s not a guaranteed starter at Man City now.” Guardiola once said City wouldn’t sign anyone else for the No.10 positionGetty But Cherki looks set to be out until November with an injuryGetty Brazil: ‘Let Phil go’ Brazil argued that Foden is better than the players Guardiola currently has ahead of him when all of his options are fully fit. Foden started just one of City’s four matches at the Club World Cup, but still left the tournament with three goals and an assist. In America, Guardiola preferred Savinho and Jeremy Doku as wide options, with January arrival, Omar Marmoush, and summer signing, Rayan Cherki, also vying for minutes, albeit the latter duo have both recently sustained injuries. When discussing City’s pecking order, Brazil told talkSPORT: “Let Phil go then, let him go – he’s too good a player not to be playing.” Agbonlahor replied: “I think he’s got a big part to play. “When he’s back from injury, he needs to get back into that starting side now that Cherki is injured. Marmoush is injured as well. “And he [Foden] needs to get those performances back. Show that hunger that got him player of the season. “If he doesn’t, the players that are ahead of him…” City's injury list Rayan Cherki, Thigh Injury, potential return: 01/11/2025 Mateo Kovacic, Calf/Shin/Heel Injury, potential return: 04/10/2025 Josko Gvardiol, Other, potential return: 14/09/2025 Savinho, Other, potential return: 14/09/2025 Marcus Bettinelli, Knock, potential return: 14/09/2025 Abdukodir Khusano, Knock, potential return: 14/09/2025 Philip Foden, Ankle/Foot, potential return: 14/09/2025 John Stones, Other, potential return: 14/09/2025 Kalvin Phillips, Calf/Shin/Heel, No Return Date What has happened to Foden? Man City have sold an abundance of young talent under Guardiola, who have since become Premier League and European superstars. Palmer and hi

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Pep Guardiola told to release Man City star he once said wouldn’t be sold for €500m

Pep Guardiola has been told to let Phil Foden leave Manchester City if he’s not going to be first-choice once he returns from injury.

That’s the opinion of talkSPORT host Alan Brazil, who argued the England international is better than the other options at the Etihad.

If Foden can rediscover his 2023/24 form, he could earn a World Cup spot

Foden has been hampered by a mixture of fitness and form issues for over a year since his standout 2023/24 campaign.

Coming into Euro 2024 as the reigning PFA Players’ Player of the Year, the ‘Stockport Iniesta’ was earmarked as England’s talisman.

Foden had just registered 19 Premier League goals and eight assists to help City lift a record fourth consecutive Premier League title.

However, he failed to register a goal or assist at the Euros despite starting all seven of England’s games in their run to the final.

That poor form continued into last season, where the 25-year-old only managed seven goals and two assists in the top-flight.

A mark of his downturn has been that he was recently named as the biggest transfer market loser after enduring a £35m value hit.

To compound his issues, Foden revealed off-field issues played a part in his ‘frustrating season’, as he pulled out of England duty in June.

“I’m astonished he’s not playing at the moment, I really am,” Brazil told talkSPORT Breakfast on Thursday.

“A couple of seasons ago, I thought, ‘What a player’. His energy levels, some of the goals he scored, were magnificent.

“Could Phil really miss out on the World Cup next summer? I think it’d be a disaster if he did.”

Foden hasn’t been able to hit the ground running this season

‘Wake-up call’ for Foden

Foden, who last featured for England against Latvia in March, was accused of underperforming for his country by Stuart Pearce.

A lack of fitness ruled him out of contention this month, with Jude Bellingham and Cole Palmer ahead of him in the pecking order.

Morgan Rogers has since staked his claim to be an option in Tuchel’s No.10 role after impressing during England’s 5-0 thrashing of Serbia.

Gabby Agbonlahor admitted: “It’s a bit of a wake-up call for him.

“He’s had injury problems at the end of last season and at the start of this season, and has only made one appearance.

Foden was once an automatic pick for both club and country

“But if you look at his stats last season, 28 games in the Premier League, seven goals, two assists.

The season before, when he won Player of the Season, was 35 appearances, 19 goals, eight assists.

“He needs to get back to that sort of form for me to break into this England squad now.

“Because I just look at the options they’ve got, and I look at [Eberechi] Eze. For me, he’s a starter at Arsenal.

“Morgan Gibbs-White, a starter at Forest. Jude Bellingham, definitely a starter at Real Madrid. Cole Palmer, a starter at Chelsea. And Morgan Rogers is a starter at Aston Villa.

“Phil Foden’s not a guaranteed starter at Man City now.”

Guardiola once said City wouldn’t sign anyone else for the No.10 position

But Cherki looks set to be out until November with an injury

Brazil: ‘Let Phil go’

Brazil argued that Foden is better than the players Guardiola currently has ahead of him when all of his options are fully fit.

Foden started just one of City’s four matches at the Club World Cup, but still left the tournament with three goals and an assist.

In America, Guardiola preferred Savinho and Jeremy Doku as wide options, with January arrival, Omar Marmoush, and summer signing, Rayan Cherki, also vying for minutes, albeit the latter duo have both recently sustained injuries.

When discussing City’s pecking order, Brazil told talkSPORT: “Let Phil go then, let him go – he’s too good a player not to be playing.”

Agbonlahor replied: “I think he’s got a big part to play.

“When he’s back from injury, he needs to get back into that starting side now that Cherki is injured. Marmoush is injured as well.

“And he [Foden] needs to get those performances back. Show that hunger that got him player of the season.

“If he doesn’t, the players that are ahead of him…”

City's injury list

Rayan Cherki, Thigh Injury, potential return: 01/11/2025
Mateo Kovacic, Calf/Shin/Heel Injury, potential return: 04/10/2025
Josko Gvardiol, Other, potential return: 14/09/2025
Savinho, Other, potential return: 14/09/2025
Marcus Bettinelli, Knock, potential return: 14/09/2025
Abdukodir Khusano, Knock, potential return: 14/09/2025
Philip Foden, Ankle/Foot, potential return: 14/09/2025
John Stones, Other, potential return: 14/09/2025
Kalvin Phillips, Calf/Shin/Heel, No Return Date

What has happened to Foden?

Man City have sold an abundance of young talent under Guardiola, who have since become Premier League and European superstars.

Palmer and his Chelsea teammates, Liam Delap and Romeo Lavia, Liverpool defender Jeremie Frimpong, and Jadon Sancho are just a handful of Etihad academy players who became household names at other clubs.

Yet that has never been a risk until now with Foden, who Guardiola once said couldn’t be sold – even if a €500million bid came in.

Foden last featured for England against Latvia in March

Discussing his recent issues, Agbonlahor added, “The season where he scored 19 Premier League goals, he was cutting in off that right-hand side, and he was whipping them into the top corner nearly every game.

“You didn’t really see that last season. Sometimes you have to have a word with yourself and say, ‘Listen, I need to get my standards back.’

“Now we’ve got a squad, and there are only three more qualifiers before the World Cup starts, with top talent, Morgan Rodgers, knocking on the door.”

Brazil shot back: “I think you’re being harsh on Foden, by the way.

“I don’t think we’ve seen him and given him a chance. I really don’t – and City are struggling, that doesn’t help.”