Pep Guardiola transfer decision could give Phil Foden what he wants at Man City

Pep Guardiola now has less than one month to prepare his Manchester City side for another Premier League title challenge and the Catalan will already be mapping out how to stay fresh.

City kick off the 2023/2024 season with a Friday night trip to Turf Moor in what is the perfect opening game; Guardiola vs Kompany, master vs apprentice, Premier League champions vs Championship champions. It will be the 52-year-old's eighth campaign in England, and once again he is the man to beat.

Guardiola has done an incredible job of constantly evolving his City side to keep rivals guessing, whether it be inverting his wingers, turning full-backs into midfielders, or - and this may be the most revolutionary of all - sticking a big No.9 up top and letting him run riot.

Tweaking the positions of a few players each summer not only keeps rivals on their toes, but it stops his own players settling in and becoming too comfortable. There is always room to develop.

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Second-guessing what Guardiola could do is a dangerous game and an easy way to look pretty stupid, but this could be the season of Phil Foden's evolution. The 23-year-old endured a difficult campaign last time out, the first plateau in a career that has otherwise only gone one way.

Jack Grealish made the left-wing position his own with a brilliant run of form, and the former Aston Villa star is expected to kick on further. But rather than spend another year on the bench, Foden could actually get what he's always wanted.

The Blues academy product has been clear about his intention to move into midfield in the future, but there have only been a handful of opportunities to prove himself in that area.

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