Man City steps in on Arsenal deal as Enzo Maresca gets close to his next signing
Enzo Maresca’s Manchester City are said to have agreed on signing Leicester City winger Jeremy Monga, even though Arsenal was interested before.
Monga, the third-youngest player to appear in a Premier League game, is close to a £12.5 million move from Leicester to Manchester City, says The Athletic. Maresca spotted the 16-year-old as a target after working with him at Leicester during the 2023/24 season.
In August 2025, Monga made history by becoming the youngest player to start a match for Leicester, playing 60 minutes in a Carabao Cup game against Huddersfield. Just three days later, he became the youngest-ever Championship scorer at 16 years and 37 days old, netting in a 2-1 loss to Preston North End.
Despite Leicester dropping to League One in 2025/26, Monga shined by playing 30 games, scoring once, and assisting twice.
His strong performances at youth level have drawn interest from top European clubs like Chelsea and Real Madrid.
Earlier in the transfer window, Arsenal talked to Leicester about signing Monga. Their sporting director Andrea Berta and Leicester’s Jon Rudkin held discussions. But after their initial offer was rejected, Arsenal seemed to step back, giving City the chance to move in.
Monga won’t be able to sign a pro contract until he turns 17 on July 10. It’s unclear what role he’ll have at City, but given his age and experience, he probably won’t be a regular starter just yet.
Since Maresca became City’s boss, they also signed England midfielder Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest for £116 million.
Ruud van Nistelrooy, former Leicester coach and Manchester United legend, spoke highly of Monga after his Premier League debut against Newcastle in April 2025.
“You could see glimpses of his great qualities,” Van Nistelrooy said. “He’s a fast, talented winger and a great boy. He deserved those minutes and hopefully, he’ll get more soon.”