Arsenal have made a deal to sign their first player of the summer, beating Man Utd and Liverpool to it!
Arsenal have reportedly agreed to their first signing of the summer, beating interest from big clubs like Manchester United, Liverpool, and Manchester City. The Gunners are aiming for a strong transfer window after winning the Premier League title for the first time since 2004. They also made it to the Champions League final but lost to Paris Saint-Germain on penalties in Budapest.
While many are focused on the World Cup right now, the English transfer window is open, and teams are already making moves. Liverpool will sign Osasuna winger Victor Munoz starting July 1, and Spurs have signed Brighton defender Jan Paul van Hecke.
Arsenal’s first pick is 16-year-old winger Jeremy Monga from Leicester City. According to talkSPORT’s Alex Crook, Arsenal will pay around £10 million to the recently relegated League One club. Several other clubs, including Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, and Chelsea, were also interested in Monga. Although the final fee might be settled by a tribunal, Arsenal’s offer is likely enough to avoid that.
To give some context, Liverpool paid £4.3 million in a tribunal deal for 16-year-old Harvey Elliott when he transferred from Fulham. Monga has played for England up to the under-19 level and made 27 appearances last season for Leicester, mostly from the bench. He scored his first senior goal during a 2-1 loss to Preston North End in August.
Although he may not join Arsenal’s first team immediately, Monga already has more senior experience than most players his age. Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta is known for giving young talents a chance, having debuted Ethan Nwaneri and Max Dowman when they were just 15. Dowman is currently with England U19s, so Monga will have a familiar teammate to help him settle in North London.
Monga’s former Leicester manager, Marti Cifuentes, praised him after his first senior goal and explained why top clubs are so eager to sign him. He said, “He is a talented boy and very humble, which is important. He works hard on the pitch and wants to learn and improve. His first goal was great, but I’m proud of his overall performance. He shows character and personality, and we’ll keep helping him become the player we believe he can be.”