Former Premier League striker Tony Cascarino believes Arsenal should try and sign Manchester City star Phil Foden this summer, while Jack Grealish could depart on loan
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Jack Grealish and Phil Foden
Jack Grealish and Phil Foden endured disappointing seasons(Image: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
Arsenal have been urged to sign Phil Foden this summer, with Pep Guardiola revamping his Manchester City squad. City spent big in the January transfer window on the likes of Omar Marmoush, Nico Gonzalez and Abdukodir Khusanov, while Kevin De Bruyne has been released.
Guardiola has also signed four new players already this summer, with Tijjani Reijnders, Rayan Cherki, Rayan Ait-Nouri all joining City. Jack Grealish is among those expected to leave City, having been left out of their squad for the Club World Cup.
However, City are struggling to find buyers for the 29-year-old, who is earning £300,000-a-week at the Etihad and it has been reported that they are now willing to send him out on loan and pay a percentage of his salary.
The likes of Newcastle and Napoli have both been mooted as potential destinations for Grealish, but one club that have been told not to sign him are Arsenal. Former Premier League striker Tony Cascarino believes the Gunners should make a move for Foden instead.
When asked if Grealish would be a good signing for Arsenal, Casarino told talkSPORT : "No, I think Foden's way more likely. Obviously Arteta worked at Man City with Phil Foden and for whatever reason, I'm sure we'll find out down the line, Phil Foden just hasn't been the player we know him to be this season.
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"From where he was the Football Writers' Player of the Year the season before, his performances this year have just not justified that. But all that's happening at City and all the spending that's gone on, I wouldn't be surprised if Foden is allowed to go somewhere.
"Whether City let him go Arsenal, I don't know, but they let Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko go there. If Arsenal could get him, I think Arteta would really consider that, yeah. Foden is only 26, so he's still got a lot of football in him.
"For whatever reason he's had a disappointing year, and I'm sure Arteta would know what's happened and gone on behind the scenes at City, absolutely. And I know some Arsenal fans will say, 'But he's had a poor year', but Phil Foden's a very gifted footballer. A terrific player.
"He doesn't want to go into the next season being in and out of a team when there’s a World Cup in the summer. Otherwise he won't play, no chance. And what have City spent in the last two windows? They must be close to £300million."
Phil Foden
Arsenal have been urged to sign Foden(Image: Getty Images)
Foden scored 27 goals and provided 13 assists in the 2023-24 campaign, but managed just 16 goal contributions the following season. And Foden revealed last month that he had been struggling throughout the campaign with personal issues and injuries.
"It's been a frustrating season for me," said Foden. "I've had a lot of things going on off the pitch mentally. It's one of them, sometimes there's things in life that are bigger than football. This season I've struggled a little bit.
"Hopefully come next year I can get my head mentally right and get back where I left off the season before, because I know what I'm capable of doing and the quality I have."
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