According to the latest reports from the Mirror, Rangers had tried to bring Manchester City’s talented midfielder Phil Foden on loan, but Pep Guardiola decided against it as he feels the Englishman’s future is at the Etihad. It is believed that Steven Gerrard had made a last moment enquiry for Foden after learning about Kent’s fate.
The midfielder is being seen as a generational talent, but given City’s quality and options in the middle, Foden has struggled to get game time at the club. Foden started in just ten games in all competitions last season, and he will have to play second fiddle for another year or so. However, with this being David Silva’s last season, the Englishman is being considered as a natural heir to the Spanish midfielder.
Did Gerrard need someone like him?
There is no doubt that Foden would have been an eye-catching signing for the Gers, but to be fair, it would have been slightly unnecessary. Gerrard managed to sign Steven Davis permanently and brought in Joe Aribo as well.
Both of them have managed to establish themselves in midfield and have done well so far. Scott Arfield, Ryan Jack, Andy King and Glen Kamara are the other midfield options for the Gers. The club had to allow Ross McCrorie to leave on loan as there were already too many available options in the middle.
How could Foden have fitted in?
Foden though could have been seen as an attacking midfielder rather than a central midfielder by Gerrard. The Englishman is calm and comfortable with the ball at his feet, and he has shown that he can dictate play from the middle.
The 19-year-old has that silky smooth touch and vision to open up defences, and that is somewhere he could have slotted in as the Gers don’t have a natural no. 10 in their roster. Aribo or Arfield can play that role, but Gerrard probably sees them more as a box to box midfielder.
The Gers tasted their first defeat of the season, but we think that there is no need to panic yet or to call out certain players for their poor performance. The Gers just failed to turn up on the day. Gerrard doesn’t need to make any drastic move or changes yet. Foden would have been a good signing given his talent and quality, but it was always going to be a long shot at getting him on loan.
