Arsenal are now in club-to-club contact with Leicester City as they work on a deal to sign promising winger Jeremy Monga.
An agreement has yet to be reached but the situation has advanced to direct negotiations and is being managed respectfully between all sides, given the 16-year-old England youth attacker’s age.
Monga has been targeted by a host of leading teams but only wanted Arsenal and the English champions aim to pay a fee that both parties are happy with, rather than letting it be decided by a tribunal.
Monga is the third-youngest player in history to feature in a Premier League match, behind Arsenal’s Max Dowman and Ethan Nwaneri, having made his professional Leicester debut aged 15 years and 271 days against Newcastle United in April 2025.
He has gone on to make 37 first-team appearances for Leicester, 30 of which came during the 2025-26 season across all competitions, frequently coming on from the bench.
The Athletic reported last year that Monga’s performances for Leicester’s Under-21 side attracted interest from a number of clubs, including Real Madrid, Manchester City and Chelsea. He made seven substitute appearances in the top-flight as his side was relegated under Ruud van Nistelrooy.
Monga committed to a one-year scholarship deal beginning on July 10 last year, which is set to turn into a professional contract when he turns 17. Agreeing those scholarship terms was significant for Leicester, as it meant a transfer fee would have to be negotiated for a club wishing to sign the teenager, rather than him potentially leaving for a smaller fee.
Leicester were relegated to League One, the third tier of English football, last season, having been deducted six points in February for breaching the English Football League’s profitability and sustainability rules (PSR) during the three-year period ending with the 2023-24 season.
Leicester previously had a strong record of retaining their young talent, but have seen promising academy players depart in recent years, including Trey Nyoni to Liverpool and Tyrese Noubissie to Manchester City.
What type of player is Monga?
Analysis by sports writer Rob Tanner
Predominantly right-footed, Monga loves to be direct and get at the full-back, to cut inside and go for goal.
His ability in one-on-one situations drew admiration from his more experienced peers among the Leicester senior squad when he trained with them, although some didn’t take too kindly to when he would nutmeg them.
Leicester had used him predominantly off the left so he can cut inside on his right, but England Under-18s manager Ben Futcher has also used him off the right and, as his goal against Greece shows on May 31, he can also be effective down the middle.
The statistics bear out the view that Monga is a forward who loves to take defenders on, as his attempted take-ons map below shows. He averaged 7.8 take-ons per 90 minutes across 1,088 minutes in all three competitions with a 36 per cent success rate.
He also made three key passes after a take-on, demonstrating he can make the right decision after dribbling, despite his lack of experience.
Of course, Monga is not the finished article and there are plenty of areas for improvement, as there is with any young player.
Defensively, he has to understand when and how to track back to help his full-back, and in attack, he can improve his final ball.
These facets should come with experience and training, but the reason so many clubs are after him is that the raw ingredients for a prominent Premier League attacking player are there.
