Before the ink was dry on his contract, before the press conference, before any of it was official — Enzo Maresca had already picked up the phone to call Phil Foden. That tells you everything about how seriously he's taking this particular problem.
Maresca addressed the media for the first time on Friday since succeeding Pep Guardiola, his three-year deal confirmed on June 29. But he'd begun laying the groundwork a full month earlier, studying every game from last season and identifying what anyone watching closely already knew: City's most naturally gifted player had gone missing.
What went wrong with Foden
The 2023/24 FWA and PFA Player of the Year managed six goals in four consecutive Premier League matches between late November and mid-December — briefly looking like his old self after being deployed slightly deeper to cover injuries. Then January arrived, and so did consecutive away defeats to Manchester United and Bodo/Glimt, both featuring Foden being hauled off before the final whistle. He never really recovered. City did, winning both the Carabao Cup and FA Cup. Foden didn't find his form alongside them.
It got bad enough that Thomas Tuchel left him out of England's World Cup squad entirely, despite offering him auditions in friendlies against Japan and Uruguay. The explanation was blunt: Foden couldn't replicate his training performances on the actual pitch. For a player of his quality, that's a damning assessment.
Maresca's response to all of this: "I just want to help Phil to be the Phil that we all know, but especially the Phil that we all want. With Phil in good shape, in a good mood, we can win games."
That's not empty manager-speak. A fit, confident Foden genuinely shifts City's ceiling. His new contract running until 2030, combined with a move to agent Rafaela Pimenta — who also handles Erling Haaland's affairs — suggests the club has structured proper professional support around him. Whether that translates to the pitch is the only question that matters.
Grealish's future remains uncertain
Maresca also addressed Jack Grealish, with whom he built a strong relationship during the 2022/23 treble season. The £100 million signing has spent the last two years testing Guardiola's patience to its limit — an impressive loan spell at Everton cut short by injury, World Cup hopes gone with it.
The 30-year-old is back at City for now and is expected to join the preseason tour to Hong Kong and South Korea next Tuesday. Maresca was warm but carefully non-committal: "Jack, at the moment, he's here. He's a Man City player." The emphasis on "at the moment" did a lot of work in that sentence.
- City open preseason against Inter Milan in Hong Kong on August 1
- Foden has signed a new contract keeping him at the club until 2030
- Grealish is expected to be part of the touring squad but his long-term future is unresolved
- Maresca previously managed City's Elite Development Squad in 2020/21 and served as Guardiola's assistant during the treble season
This is Maresca's third stint at the club, and he arrives knowing the squad better than most incoming managers would. But the Foden situation is his first real test. A player this talented, this far off his peak, coming off a World Cup snub — that's not a minor technical fix. Maresca started the job early because he knew it.
