Jeremy Monga Chooses Arsenal Over Chelsea and Manchester United

Arsenal look to have stolen a march in the race for Leicester City winger Jeremy Monga, with the teenager understood to favour a move to the Premier League champions over Chelsea and Manchester United.

The 16-year-old has been on the radar of all three clubs this summer, his emergence at Leicester drawing the kind of attention that usually forces a decision long before a youngster kicks a senior ball. This one appears to be heading towards north London.

Transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano has reported that Arsenal are now pushing ahead with a deal after Monga indicated he would agree to join them. Once that preference became clear, the tempo changed. Arsenal moved from monitoring to acting.

For Leicester, the timing could hardly be worse. The Foxes, already dealing with the fallout of relegation from the Championship, now face losing one of the brightest prospects in their academy just as they try to reset the club’s direction.

Monga had already agreed a professional contract with Leicester, due to start when he turns 17 on July 10. That agreement is crucial: it gives Leicester the right to command a transfer fee rather than watching a coveted talent walk away for nothing.

So the dynamic is set. Arsenal want him. The player wants Arsenal. Leicester, bruised by relegation, at least hold a measure of leverage in negotiations thanks to that pending professional deal.

For a club looking to build a squad that can stay at the top of English football, Arsenal’s pursuit of a 16-year-old winger is no vanity project. It is another move in a long-term plan. The next question is simple: how high will they have to go to prise him out of Leicester?