Manchester City are reportedly poised to beat Arsenal to the signing of Leicester City's teenage forward Jeremy Monga. The Gunners had been leading the chase to secure the 16-year-old, who has already featured in both the Premier League and Championship.
Colleagues at football.london suggest that a fee of between £10million and £15m has been discussed between the Gunners and Leicester. It is also understood that thought was given to whether a season in League One might benefit the teenager's development more than another year in academy football.
City Enter the Race
However, that prospect now appears to have faded, with BBC Sport reporting that City have entered the running to sign him. Approaches have been made in recent days regarding a potential transfer, with the Athletic reporting that Arsenal have withdrawn from the race due to the asking price being too high.
Monga made his Premier League debut during the 2024/25 season as a 15-year-old for Leicester, making seven league appearances between April and the end of the campaign.
Background and Record
Leicester managed to fend off interest from rival clubs last summer, despite their relegation to the Championship, and Monga put pen to paper on an academy scholarship when he turned 16. That agreement is due to become a professional contract this summer, on his 17th birthday on July 10. While a fee with Leicester could be negotiated, there remains the possibility of a tribunal to determine whether whichever club signs him has paid a fair price for the youngster.
The forward joined an elite group of young talents when he became the second-youngest player ever to feature in a Premier League match, though he has since been pushed into third place by Arsenal's Max Dowman. Monga was just 15 years, eight months and 28 days old when he came off the bench in a 3-0 defeat against Newcastle United on April 7, 2025.
2025/26 Season Performance
The young starlet made 30 appearances across all competitions during the 2025/26 season, and etched his name in the record books as the Championship's youngest-ever goalscorer when he found the net against Preston North End in August.
The teenager has recently been representing England at Under-18 level, netting the winning goal in a 2-1 victory over Greece Under-19s and also getting on the scoresheet in a dominant 6-1 triumph over Cyprus.
City's Summer Business
City have already been busy this summer after confirming on Thursday that they have struck an agreement with Nottingham Forest for Elliot Anderson. The Blues finalised the deal with the East Midlands outfit last month, with the midfielder receiving FA clearance to complete a medical in New York last week.
The England international will become a record-breaking signing for City, with the club paying a straight fee of £116million to secure the 23-year-old. Anderson will put pen to paper on a five-year deal at the Etihad, bolstering the midfield options following Bernardo Silva's exit.
