Phil Foden, who just last season faced serious questions about his long-term future at Manchester City after a rough run under Pep Guardiola, just signed a massive new deal with the club until June 2030, with an option for another season. It’s a huge commitment, especially considering his disappointing form led to him being left out of England’s World Cup squad.
The Foden Flip: From Doubt to Dynasty
Man City clearly isn’t sweating Foden’s struggles from last season. Enzo Maresca is already planning to use the 26-year-old as a key part of his first-team plans. This is wild, right? We just saw him unable to nail down a spot and then get benched from the national team for the biggest tournament in soccer. There were even rumors flying around, with AS Roma showing interest and AC Milan reportedly dreaming of signing him, even considering offloading Rafael Leão to make it happen. ESPN and Tuttosport were all over it, and City was reportedly willing to let him go for around €50 million. But nope, instead of a transfer, he’s staying put and signing on the dotted line. He even dropped a quote about it, saying, “We’re always fighting for the next title or challenge and that’s the Club we want to be. We want to be a massive Club competing for all trophies and you can see the attitude of the players even in the first couple of training sessions that we’re raring to go again and trying to win trophies.” Sounds like a man ready to prove everyone wrong.
De Ketelaere’s World Cup Rise and Bayern’s Budget Blocker
While Foden inks his new deal, another young attacker, Charles De Ketelaere from Atalanta, is seeing his profile explode thanks to the World Cup. The 25-year-old Belgian was apparently one of the tournament’s standout players. He scored twice against the United States, which is huge, and get this, he was the *only* player to score against Spain at the entire World Cup. Now, clubs like Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain are reportedly keeping tabs on him. PSG, specifically, is looking at his tactical intelligence as a credible alternative to Maghnes Akliouche, who’s still trying to move from AS Monaco to Paris. Atalanta values De Ketelaere at around €50 million, and several Premier League sides are also in the mix. Bayern was linked last winter too. But here’s the kicker: even with all that interest, a move to Bayern seems doubtful. They already have eight attackers on the roster this season and aren’t in a position, either financially or roster-wise, to make a “luxury purchase” unless they sell someone unexpectedly. So, a talent like De Ketelaere might have to look elsewhere.
Legends Link Up Despite Wildfire Chaos
Away from the transfer market drama, two titans of German football, Thomas Müller and Robert Lewandowski, still managed to link up last week. This happened despite the Chicago Fire and Vancouver Whitecaps having to cancel their match in Chicago because of air quality issues from the wildfires in the United States Midwest and Canada. It’s cool to see those two still connecting, even when games are getting shut down.
So, what’s next? We’ll be watching to see if De Ketelaere ends up making a blockbuster move, or if Bayern sticks to their current roster situation. And with Foden’s new deal locked in, all eyes are on him to see if he can deliver on that promise he just made and silence the critics who doubted him after the World Cup. It’s going to be interesting to see how these big clubs handle their rosters as the season progresses.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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