Ex-Man City Academy coach reveals Inter’s offer for Foden | OneFootball

Former Manchester City Academy coach Darren Bowman reveals Inter wanted to sign Phil Foden when the Englishman was still playing for the Citizens’ Youth Sector but the midfielder ‘was never going to leave.’

Bowman, a former City academy coach and current academy director for Lee Man FC in the Hong Kong Premier League, revealed Inter wanted to sign Foden when the English midfielder was still far from making his senior debut under Pep Guardiola.

Bowman explained that Foden would often follow Man City’s youth teams for friendly tournaments around Europe, even if he was not always eligible to play, in order to get him used to “travelling and different environments.”

“Another tournament he did play, and we got an offer from Inter to buy him,” Bowman told TalkSport.

“We were in Italy, and they were asking, ‘How much do you want?’

“There’s always interest and offers for players like that. You have to make sure you retain your best talent and keep them on the pathway.

“For someone like Phil, he was never going to leave. He’s a City fan, he was a City ballboy, he’s City through and through and he’s not interested in any other club.

“Phil was well known throughout the UK and Europe because of his level but there was no way he was going to leave the club or the club were ever going to let him leave.”

Foden scored a stunning goal for Manchester City in an epic 3-3 draw against Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals this past Tuesday.

The English star has netted 22 times and delivered 10 assists in 45 appearances at a club level this season.