Phil Foden says Manchester City's summer overhaul was “needed” after a disappointing 2024/25 campaign. The 25-year-old believes new signings have settled quickly and could push City back to their best.
Phil Foden has backed Manchester City’s aggressive summer recruitment, saying it was vital for the club to refresh after last season’s collapse across all major competitions.
Speaking to reporters at City’s training ground, Foden admitted that injuries, poor form, and stagnation cost Pep Guardiola’s side dearly as they exited both the Premier League title race and Champions League before March — and had to fight just to secure fourth place on the final day.
“It is needed after last season,” Foden said. “Bringing in fresh legs and the new additions have done well. They’ve settled very quickly.”
City’s £285m Reset — A Reaction to Collapse
After Guardiola blocked a rebuild last summer, City reversed course this year — spending £175m in January and a further £110m before the Club World Cup, aiming to refresh the squad with hungry, top-level talent.
The move was in response to a campaign where Rodri missed the full season through injury and no stable centre-back pairing emerged. Foden himself experienced a dip in form, despite being named Premier League Player of the Season in 2023/24.
Foden: “We All Want to Make Up for Last Season”
The 25-year-old believes the new signings will help City reclaim top honours from rivals Liverpool and says the group is more motivated than ever to put things right.
“It always gets to a time when any club needs to add new players and freshen things up — and we’ve done that,” said Foden. — Man City Training Ground
“I think everyone wants to make up for last season. We’ve got a lot of experience in the dressing room. With Bernardo [Silva] as captain, hopefully he can push the lads on.”
Phil Foden’s 2024/25 season in stats
| Stat (2024/25) | Phil Foden |
|---|---|
| Games Played | 49 |
| Goals | 13 |
| Assists | 7 |
| Minutes Played | 2,994 |
Analyst Verdict
City’s squad has grown stagnant at times in past title defences, and Foden’s endorsement of the rebuild speaks volumes. With new arrivals bedding in quickly and Guardiola finally backing structural changes, the champions-in-waiting may once again become the side to beat — assuming injuries don’t derail them again.
This could be Foden’s season to lead, not just follow.
Key Insights
- Foden says City’s transfer window refresh was “needed” after poor 2024/25
- City spent £285m across two windows to revamp the squad
- Rodri missed all of last season; City scraped top four
- Foden aiming to rediscover his 2023/24 title-winning form
- Bernardo Silva now club captain heading into the new campaign
What’s Next?
With the season opener just days away, Foden is expected to start as one of City’s focal points in attack. Fans will be watching closely to see whether the new-look squad can challenge Liverpool and reassert domestic and European dominance.
Can Foden lead Man City back to the top — or are bigger changes still needed?
1 Comment (last comment by JamesLove)
First read message
By JamesLove 6 Aug 2025 07:56
Night and days the way he played last season with the season before, but City in general wasn’t great last season. This year I do expect City to be back and Foden to reach his potential again
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