Manchester City Strikes Early Blow on Arsenal with £12.5m Deal for Jeremy Monga
Manchester City has seemingly outmaneuvered their Premier League rivals Arsenal by agreeing to a £12.5m deal for 17-year-old Jeremy Monga, who is set to leave Leicester City. This transfer deal is the latest in a series of high-profile moves between the two top-tier teams in England, with City emerging victorious in the battle for one of the country’s most promising young players.
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BBC Sport revealed that City had strong interest in Monga last week, ultimately leading to Arsenal being gazumped at the finish line. Brentford was also in the running, but City has secured the deal with Leicester, who will lose one of their star players following their relegation to League One. This transfer is not unprecedented, with Tottenham spending £30m to sign 18-year-old Archie Gray from Leeds in 2024, and Manchester United paying £27m to buy 18-year-old Luke Shaw from Southampton 12 years ago.
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Monga, who will turn 18 on his birthday this Friday, had agreed to a one-year scholarship contract at King Power Stadium, which turns into a professional contract upon his 18th birthday. The £12.5m fee is a significant investment in the young player, who has already made a name for himself in the Premier League. At just 16 years and 34 days old, Monga became Leicester’s youngest starter in the Carabao Cup first round defeat on penalties by Huddersfield last August.
As an England youth international, Monga tends to play from the left wing but can operate from the opposite flank as well. He is equally adept with both feet and has made a total of 37 appearances for the Foxes, including seven as a substitute in the Premier League. His top-flight debut came against Newcastle in April 2025, where he played the final 16 minutes in the 3-0 defeat at St James’ Park.
Monga currently stands as the third-youngest player to feature in the Premier League behind Arsenal duo Max Dowman and Ethan Nwaneri. Reflecting on his first top-flight appearance, Monga said: ‘It was a crazy experience. At first, I was obviously nervous, but when I got onto the pitch, all the nerves went away as I had to switch on.’
Regarding his potential role at Manchester City, it is unclear if Monga will be immediately integrated into the first-team or whether he will start off in the academy. City’s forward line is stacked with established international figures, so Monga may initially find it difficult to break into the first-team. However, those who have worked closely with him feel he is a star in the making.
Monga’s attitude and mentality have been praised by those who have worked with him, with Callum Powell of CP Coaching Academy noting: ‘Initially, Jeremy was quite a reserved character, but he conducts himself well and is very polite and well mannered. He gets his head down and works hard.’
Powell also highlighted Monga’s strongest skills, saying: ‘His ability to manipulate the ball and his dribbling ability are his main traits, but the most exciting thing about Jeremy when you are watching him is the ability to react and beat opposition players.’
Powell drew comparisons between Monga and England striker Ivan Toney, who currently represents Northampton Town. He said: ‘You look at him and see he has great technical ability, but you would never have forecasted what he has gone on to achieve. Jeremy is similar to Ivan, the mentality is just different to others. He is not fazed, he doesn’t feel the pressure, in fact, he is motivated by the pressure.’
With his undoubted talent and potential, Monga is set to take his skills to the next level by joining one of the biggest clubs in the world as a teenager. As he embarks on this new chapter, fans and pundits alike will be eager to see what role he will play at Manchester City.
