Despite a fairly quiet start to the summer, one story is dominating all Leicester news. The race for the signature of 16-year-old Jeremy Monga was always going to be widespread, with every big club in England looking to swoop in. Plenty have already been linked, but it seems like his next destination is already confirmed.
Club-to-Club Contact Begins as Jeremy Monga nears Leicester Exit
Jeremy Monga: On the move
Among the most recent reports, Arsenal have been the club closing in on signing Monga. The Premier League champions have seemingly fought off strong competition and are now advancing in their pursuit. David Ornstein now reports that the Gunners are in club-to-club contact with Leicester. Whilst no agreement has been made yet, direct talks are well underway.
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Following a tremendous first season with the under-21s, where Monga became the youngest PL2 goalscorer ever, he was handed his Premier League debut. In the process, he became the second-youngest debutant, only behind Ethan Nwaneri and now Max Dowman. Despite plenty of clubs showing interest that summer, he stayed put with the Foxes ahead of a season in the Championship; an opportunity to show his quality over a full season of men’s football.
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In the end, it didn’t work out perfectly as he was often left on the bench, as City succumbed to back-to-back relegations. Now the almost certain move to a top Premier League club seems imminent, with Arsenal planning to pay a fair fee and avoid the tribunal. Ornsetin also adds that he ‘only wanted’ Arsenal, much to this dismay of other rivals.
A suitable move for all parties?
For Leicester, a move away for Monga was always a given, especially after relegation. The pragmatism under Gary Rowett left him on the sidelines for much of last season, and ultimately, he isn’t ready to play men’s football week in, week out yet. The responsibilities, the physicality, and the pressure all seemed too much, but that isn’t to say he didn’t show glimpses. The 16-year-old is more than keen to take on his man and is incredibly tricky due to his ability to utilise both feet.
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In terms of Arsenal’s situation, this could be a real coup. They have taken advantage of Leicester’s predicament and may be bringing in one of Europe’s best talents. Whilst Nwaneri, Dowman and Myles Lewis Skelly are excellent and already spend plenty of time around the first team, the rest of Arsenal’s academy isn’t the strongest. Their results aren’t great, and you only ever see select individuals progress. Monga will more than likely strengthen their youthful options, with the potential of one day making the step up.
On the whole, for Monga himself, it also seems like a suitable choice. At Arsenal, there won’t be any pressure to burst into the first team and start delivering, like there was at Leicester. He can continue to develop, but now he has some of the world’s best coaches and players to learn from. It will be intriguing to see how he’s utilised over the next few years and how much more academy football he will play. As a 15-year-old, he was already showing he was more than good enough to play at the level; now, two years on, he will be even better.
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