Leicester starlet, 16, set for £12.5m switch after Maresca reunion turns his head at the last minute
Manchester City have beaten Arsenal to the signing of highly-rated Leicester teenager Jeremy Monga, hijacking a deal the Gunners had believed was close to completion.
Arsenal had been in talks over a move for the 16-year-old and had expressed confidence last month that a transfer to north London was on track. However, City entered the race this week, ultimately winning over the player before agreeing terms with Leicester for his transfer, according to the Standard.
The Athletic reports that the deal is worth £12.5m in total, made up of an initial £10m payment plus a further £2.5m in add-ons. Leicester have also secured a sell-on clause as part of the agreement.
New City head coach Enzo Maresca is understood to have played a key role in persuading Monga to choose the Etihad Stadium over Arsenal. Maresca managed Leicester during the 2023/24 season, giving him an existing relationship with the youngster, and is said to have sold him on City’s long-term project for his development.
Monga signed scholarship terms with Leicester last summer on a one-year deal, which is due to expire when he turns 17 on 10 July. Because that agreement remains active, any move away from the club required a transfer fee to be agreed, rather than allowing him to leave for nothing once his contract lapsed.
It has yet to be determined whether Monga will go straight into Maresca’s first-team plans at City, join the club’s development squad, or be sent out on loan for the 2026/27 season. He is expected to use pre-season as an opportunity to impress the Italian coach and stake a claim for involvement with the senior side.
The teenager has already made history in English football. He became the third-youngest player ever to appear in the Premier League, making his debut aged just 15 years and 271 days — behind only Max Dowman and Ethan Nwaneri. Monga has also featured regularly for England at youth level, and holds the record as Leicester’s youngest-ever senior goalscorer.
