Phil Foden again showed his class for Manchester City on Tuesday night, but with Euro 2020 fast approaching it might be worth considering a loan move.
The 19-year-old came off the bench and scored a stunning late goal to help City to a 2-0 victory over Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League and, speaking after the game, boss Pep Guardiola admitted that he felt sorry for his young star.
Guardiola would clearly love to play him more, but such is the array of talent he has at his disposal, it is just not possible.
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Take Premier League title rivals Liverpool out of the equation and Foden would walk into any first XI in the top flight and be a regular starter. But at City he has to settle for minutes here and there to continue his development.
Foden is still very young, of course, and although he would love to be playing on a regular basis, he says he is willing to be patient and will wait for his chance.
He is already reported to have rejected the option of a loan move away in the summer. A host of Europe’s top clubs were willing to offer him the first-team football he craves, but instead he wants to battle for his place at City.
Guardiola will be delighted with that, but staying at City could hamper his chances of making the England squad for the European Championship next summer, if that is what he wants.
Competition to get into the squad will be fierce and Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate has a plethora of young talent to pick from. Mason Mount, James Maddison and Jadon Sancho, to name just a few, are all vying for a place in the squad.
Foden is on a par with, if not better than, the players mentioned above, but would Southgate pick him if he is not playing regular football?
Mount is going from strength to strength after breaking into the Chelsea side this season, albeit because of the transfer embargo. As is Leicester midfielder Maddison, who is being touted as a £100million player. Sancho continues to dazzle for Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga. They must all be ahead of Foden in the pecking order right now.
City would have to pick the club very carefully if all parties decided a loan deal in the second half of the season would benefit Foden, but they would not be short of options.
Southgate is due to name his next England squad in a few weeks and it will be interesting to see if Foden gets his first call-up.
It is only a matter of time before he does, but the Euros could come a little too soon for him unless he gets regular minutes, something that is unlikely to happen at City this season.
