Pep Guardiola believes Phil Foden can thrive by playing in the Lionel Messi role in his Manchester City side.
The England international has been in and out of the City line-up since the break for the World Cup. A combination of injuries and Jack Grealish and Riyad Mahrez;s good form, means he has only started three Premier League games in 2023.
However, after an impressive showing during the frustrating draw with Nottingham Forest, he looks in line for more regular minutes. That could come with a positional change in midweek, as the Premier League champions face-off against RB Leipzig in Germany.
City make that trip without the influential Kevin De Bruyne, who is missing with an illness. But Guardiola believes Foden can slot into a more central role and compared what he did at the City Ground to what Messi would do in his all-conquering Barcelona teams.
“He can play there, still I have the feeling he's still young,” Guardiola explained. “Some maturity to understand what happens in the middle to read what happens.
“When you play [on the wing] you are moving the right, do these kind of things, in the middle many things happen and you have to read what happens to react properly. And still he's young. The skills he can do it, absolutely.
“The action he did in Nottingham, like shooting and putting the balls in for Erling [Haaland], is the position for Messi when attacking in that period, it’s perfect for Phil. Phil is really good doing that, in the pockets, in the right like Kevin plays."
He added: “But it's not just that, sometimes you have to read when the ball is left, right, when to take positions, when you drop. Sometimes when you play outside it's easier to do these kinds of things but with time he will do it. It’s important he can play four or five positions as I've said many, many times.”
Guardiola’s comments come as Messi’s future has once again been thrown into question. The World Cup winner had initially looked set to remain with Paris Saint-Germain beyond this summer, when his initial two-year contract expires.
L’Equipe report that Messi is now leaning towards leaving the French capital at the end of the season, two years after swapping the Camp Nou for the Parc des Princes. Thanks to his relationship with the City boss, the Etihad has often been touted as a potential destination for the 35-year-old.
Guardiola explained that the £100m signing of Grealish meant that Messi was not in their thoughts in 2021 and whether that has changed this time around, remains to be seen. Messi’s father has moved to rule out one potential destination though. telling Spanish newspaper SPORT that an emotional return to Barcelona was unlikely.
"I don’t think Leo will play for Barcelona again," Jorge explained last week. "The conditions are not met. We have not spoken with [club president Joan] Laporta and there is no offer on the table."
A move to Saudi Arabia or the United States has been mooted, with Messi admitting “everything changed” after finally ending his long wait for a World Cup in Qatar last year.
"I always thank God. I knew he was going to give me a World Cup, I don't know, I felt it. Luckily he gave himself what we dreamed of so much.,” he said. "Luckily it happened in the end. From that day everything changed for me. Now we can say it."
