Manchester City have won the race for one of English football's most talked-about teenagers, agreeing a £12.5m fee with Leicester City for winger Jeremy Monga. Arsenal were also firmly in the picture, but City moved decisively to land a player head coach Enzo Maresca knows well from his promotion-winning stint at the King Power Stadium.
Maresca connection seals the deal
Maresca guided Leicester to the Championship title in 2023-24, and Monga — who joined the Foxes as an eight-year-old — was already on the fringes of first-team life during that campaign. The new City boss is understood to have been a strong advocate for the move, and the teenager needed little persuading once the reigning champions came calling.
"When I became aware that Manchester City were interested, I knew instantly this was the right choice for me," Monga said on the club's official website. "For any young footballer, to become part of this amazing club is a dream come true. This has been the best club in England over the past ten years. And it has also handed opportunities to players from the academy like Phil Foden and Nico O'Reilly, which shows that the pathway is there. It is a privilege to be here and I'm delighted to have joined."
A record-breaker already
The Coventry-born winger, who turned 17 on the day the deal was finalised, has already accumulated a remarkable list of milestones for someone still in their mid-teens. In April 2025, aged 15 years and 271 days, he became the second-youngest player to make his Premier League debut. Last August he became the youngest player ever to start a match for Leicester, and just three days later he broke into the scorer's column at Preston — in doing so becoming the Championship's youngest goalscorer, eclipsing the record previously held by Jude Bellingham.
Monga is comfortable on either flank and has represented England at age-group level up to the under-19s. His development had attracted attention from several top-flight clubs, with Arsenal particularly keen, but City's pitch — and the familiarity Maresca offered — proved decisive.
Leicester's painful backdrop
For Leicester, the sale is a further blow following a turbulent 2025-26 campaign that ended in relegation from the Championship to League One. Losing a player of Monga's calibre at this stage of his development will sting, though the £12.5m fee will at least provide some financial relief as the club attempts to rebuild in the third tier.
What City are getting
At the Etihad, Monga arrives as a long-term project rather than an immediate first-team fixture — though City's track record with young English talent, particularly in the Foden mould, means expectations will be managed carefully. The market has reacted positively to the signing, with the noises out of the club suggesting Maresca views Monga as central to their future planning rather than a squad afterthought.
- Fee: £12.5m
- Age: 17
- Previous club: Leicester City
- Position: Winger (both flanks)
- International: England under-19s
For a player who is still eligible for under-18 football, the trajectory is already extraordinary. City fans will be hoping the Etihad proves the right stage for the next chapter.
Frequently asked
- How much did Manchester City pay for Jeremy Monga?
- Manchester City agreed a £12.5m fee with Leicester City for the 17-year-old winger Jeremy Monga.
- Why did Jeremy Monga choose Manchester City over Arsenal?
- Monga has said that City's interest made the decision straightforward, citing the club's record of giving academy players a pathway to the first team. He also has an existing connection with head coach Enzo Maresca, who worked with him during Leicester's promotion-winning 2023-24 season.
- What records has Jeremy Monga broken?
- Monga became the second-youngest player to make his Premier League debut in April 2025, aged 15 years and 271 days. He later became both the youngest player to start for Leicester and, by scoring at Preston, the Championship's youngest ever goalscorer — a record previously held by Jude Bellingham.