Jeremy Monga is the third-youngest player to feature in the Premier League. Manchester City appear to have struck an early blow on Arsenal by agreeing a £12.5m deal to sign 17-year-old Jeremy Monga from Leicester City.

Not content with battling for the top trophies in England, the two sides are now tussling for the country's best young players and City look to have come out on top this time, although the deal is yet to be completed.

Premier League champions Arsenal were leading the race and in a strong position to bring in Monga, but BBC Sport revealed strong interest from City last week and the Gunners have been gazumped at the finish line by their rivals. Brentford were also in the frame but City have clinched the deal with the Foxes, who will lose one of their star players following relegation to League One.

Monga had agreed to a one-year scholarship contract at King Power Stadium, which turns into a professional contract on his 17th birthday on Friday, meaning interested parties would be required to pay a transfer fee for the teenager.

Although the £12.5m fee is a substantial amount for a 17-year-old, it is not unprecedented. Tottenham spent £30m to sign 18-year-old Archie Gray from Leeds in 2024, while it took Manchester United £27m to buy 18-year-old Luke Shaw from Southampton 12 years ago and Arsenal shelled out up to £12.5m on 16-year-old Theo Walcott from Southampton back in 2006.

It is understood City have long held an interest in Monga but the move has accelerated under new manager Enzo Maresca, who worked with the teenager during his season in charge of Leicester.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta, though, will be bitterly disappointed and left wondering how his side have been outmanoeuvred by City, as a deal to sign Monga was seemingly close to being completed.

Monga became Leicester's youngest starter aged 16 years and 34 days old last August when he featured in the Carabao Cup first round defeat on penalties by Huddersfield. The England youth international tends to play from the left wing but can operate from the opposite flank too and is equally adept with both feet - he made a total of 37 appearances for the Foxes, including seven as a substitute in the Premier League.

Monga was handed his top-flight debut by ex-Leicester boss Ruud van Nistelrooy against Newcastle in April 2025, playing the final 16 minutes in the 3-0 defeat at St James' Park. He currently stands as the third-youngest player to feature in the competition behind Arsenal duo Max Dowman and Ethan Nwaneri.

Reflecting on his first top-flight appearance, Monga said: "It was a crazy experience. At first I was obviously nervous but when I got onto the pitch all the nerves went away as I had to switch on. I feel like I did all right, I could have done better. There is always room for improvement."

Monga can now take his undoubted talent to the next level by joining one of the biggest clubs in the world as a teenager, but what role could he play at City? It is not yet known if Monga will be immediately integrated into the first team or whether he will start off in the academy.

It would make sense for Monga to join the club on their pre-season tour of Hong Kong and Seoul where other youngsters including Vitor Reis, Sverre Nypan, and Divine Mukasa could also make the trip.

City's forward line is stacked with established international figures so Monga may initially find it difficult to break into the first team, but those who have worked closely with him feel he is a star in the making.

Jeremy Monga has been capped by England from under-15 through to under-19 level. While at Coventry City at the age of 11, Monga undertook specialist one-to-one coaching sessions in a programme that has hosted players from numerous academies around the country all the way up to the Premier League.

"Initially, Jeremy was quite a reserved character, but he goes about himself in the correct way," Callum Powell of CP Coaching Academy tells BBC Sport. "He conducts himself well and he is very polite and well mannered. He brought a good energy but not one that was loud, boisterous or in your face. He gets his head down and works hard. When he is on the ball, he is not shy to showcase himself."

So even at that age, what did Powell notice were his strongest skills? "His ability to manipulate the ball and his dribbling ability are his main traits but the most exciting thing about Jeremy when you are watching him is the ability to react and beat opposition players," Powell added. "His footwork, agility and technical ability is superior from most players of his age. This is why he has attracted the interest he has. The way he shifts while at high speed is quite a rare trait to possess."

Alongside his coaching, Powell plays in the lower leagues of the English pyramid and says Monga's attitude resembles similarities to an England striker who is currently at the World Cup. "I grew up and played with Ivan Toney while at Northampton, coming through the academy and into the scholars," said Powell. "You look at him and see he has great technical ability but you would never have forecasted what he has gone on to achieve. Jeremy Monga is similar to Ivan Toney, the mentality is just different from others. He is not fazed, he doesn't feel the pressure, in fact, he is motivated by the pressure. That is the biggest thing.

"Working with professionals and the most talented youngsters, the main thing that sets them apart is their mentality and mindset and you can see Jeremy has that in abundance. It is down to Jeremy to put in the performances and work to get to where he needs to, but I have no doubt that he will go on to achieve great things there and it is an unbelievable move for him."