Despite the increased calls, Pep Guardiola has no intention of allowing teenage star Phil Foden to leave on loan in January, insist senior Etihad insiders.
The Manchester City academy graduate carried on letting his football do the talking with both goals in England Under-21’s win over Kosovo on Monday night.
That came on the back of a man-of-the-match display just a few days earlier, grabbing two assists in the young Lions’ 3-2 Euro Under-21 qualifier win over Turkey.
That has seen a host of pundits insisting the talented 19-year-old needs to be playing regularly for his club or now be farmed out by Guardiola, who recently described the Stockport-born starlet as the “most, most, most talented player” he has seen in his career as a player and manager.
Foden scored the only goal on his full senior debut last season against Tottenham, repaying his manager’s faith that he can be trusted in the big games.
The starlet, however, has made just two substitute appearances so far this season, his last coming on late in the 5-0 opening day-rout at West Ham United, and he will hope to feature at some point at Norwich on Saturday.
It’s understood the Citizens have knocked back more than a dozen loan requests from across Europe during the past 12 months and that stance isn’t about to change soon.
City sources state Guardiola expects Foden to get plenty of starting opportunities once the Champions League and domestic cup competitions get underway this month.
He has urged the player to be more outspoken but the boyhood City fan has been reluctant to rock the boat, preferring to keep his head down in training and learn from the likes of David Silva.
Silva will end his 10-year association with the champions at the end of this season, with Foden holding on to the impression that he is being groomed to replace the brilliant Spaniard.
Guardiola obviously wants to keep Foden close but he will clearly need to be playing on a more consistent basis if he is to force his way into Gareth Southgate’s senior squad for next summer’s European Championships.
Former youth team-mate Jadon Sancho decided to leave City in 2017 for more first-team opportunities at Borussia Dortmund, making the senior leap, although the backroom staff at the Etihad are adamant Foden won’t be going anywhere and that Guardiola has a firm plan in place this term.
