“David [Silva] will leave this season and we will not buy any player in his position because we have Phil. We trust Phil. If we did not believe him, we might go to the market to replace David, but we have Phil. “
That was Pep Guardiola’s words in the summer of 2020, when David Silva’s resignation was seen as a clue for Phil Foden to begin his reign in Manchester City. “Stockport Iniesta” would be City’s chief executive for the next decade, and the club enjoyed not having to pay for him.
12 months later and City look set to spend £ 100m to replace Silva with Aston Villa’s Jack Grealish, who has tipped to seal his record move to the Etihad when Euro 2020 is over.
On the surface, it presents itself as another obstacle for the Foot to overcome, but it is actually a smart and (almost) necessary move from Guardiola.
Despite many years of believing that Foden was the heir to Silva’s throne, the 2020/21 season showed us that he is not. The foot is not a deadly passer-by and a metronomic tempo-setter, he is actually much more than that.
The future of the foot is vast / Chloe Knott – Danehouse / Getty Images
The foot has been deployed as a left winger under Guardiola and has taken his game to new levels. He has amassed goals and assisted at a devastating pace, and looks like one of the best players in a city team with some of the game’s best talents.
What this season showed us is that Foden’s future is wide, where his performances were so good that they have left senior stars like Raheem Sterling and Bernardo Silva frustrated by their lack of chances to fight for their place back.
The foot is actually the heir to Sterling’s throne (which is more like a plastic garden chair compared to Silvas), so now City must find someone who fills Silva’s void again.
Ange Grealish.
Grealish can fill Silva’s void / Visionhaus / Getty Images
One of the best creators in the Premier League in recent seasons, Grealish is the dynamic, first player that City expected Foden to be. He was able to record in City’s midfield perfectly with Kevin De Bruyne and replicate the success they had when the Belgian was with Silva.
With De Bruyne and Silva, his star midfielders, the City Premier League tore apart. The 2017/18 season, where Silva scored nine goals and 11 assists, was one of the best we’ve ever seen from a team and Grealish can bring City back to that level.
Forming a double-headed monster alongside De Bruyne, City’s midfield would be back to being the scariest creative in the league, and that’s before you even include what Foden does in his newfound home next door.
This passport was a ????. ? @JackGrealish? pic.twitter.com/WvmNCOkKTm
– Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) December 27, 2020
Both Grealish and Foden are the kind of new-age midfielders who thrive in a game that does not care about traditional positions. Are they midfielders? The wings? 10s? Nobody really knows, and that’s what makes them so good. They can roam anywhere, pull defenders out of position and strike down any spaces they can find.
Having such a player is good, but having two? It may be over for the league.
You can discuss whether a £ 100 million expenditure is right from a business point of view, but it has nothing to do with Guardiola. He wants to build a dominant team that can win trophy after trophy after trophy, and he does just that.
Guardiola may have finally found its Silva replacement / Pool / Getty Images
There is a chance that City could lose many of their creators this summer. Sterling, Silva and Riyad Mahrez are all disillusioned at the Etihad, and the growth of the Foot makes them all somewhat consumed.
If they leave, they will have to be replaced, and it seems that City will get a fantastic lead on that.
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