Phil Foden could become one of the rare stars to stay with Manchester City should the club find itself relegated. This insight was provided by former Everton CEO Keith Wyness.
The prospect of City's relegation is still in the realm of speculation and is not yet a confirmed outcome. Final sanctions have yet to be decided, and the club is preparing to appeal the ruling regarding financial violations.
Wyness believes that if Manchester City faces the drop from the Premier League, it will be exceedingly difficult for the club to retain its current squad due to a significant drop in revenue. However, Foden might be an exception owing to his long-standing ties with the club.
The 25-year-old has progressed through City's academy and has already made over 370 appearances for his boyhood club across all competitions.
Wyness stated:
Yes, I can imagine Foden staying. He’s a local lad, and that option is certainly possible. But the pressure from wages and other expenses will be immense.
The club will need to tidy up its finances, or they could find themselves in a situation that turns into a financial disaster.
He emphasised that it will not be enough for players simply to want to remain loyal to the club. In the event of a serious income decline, City might need to offload some of their most expensive players:
It would be lovely to think that players would stay and fight for the club. But the issue is that City might just not be able to afford to keep everyone for that battle.
Using Rangers as an example, Wyness noted that following their financial crisis, they had to start their journey back from the lower tiers of Scottish football. He believes relegation does not necessarily equate to a long-term disaster if the club can realign its expenses and squad:
You can recover from such a situation. It’s about assembling a team that fits the level you find yourself at, and striving to make a return to the top. However, I do not expect a plethora of stars to remain in that case.
Earlier, Wyness suggested that Enzo Maresca could potentially leave Manchester City next summer if the club receives a serious punishment. He believes there might be a clause in the Italian's contract regarding this, although there is no confirmation of such a condition.
