Who is Jeremy Monga? England’s fastest rising talent being 'tracked' by Arsenal | OneFootball

Gunners are said to be ‘leading the race’ to sign the talented youngster

Jeremy Monga may only be 16, but he is already making waves in English football.

Monga broke into the Leicester City first-team picture during the 2024-25 season, making his debut as a 15-year-old in a 3-0 defeat to Newcastle at the King Power Stadium.

That 17-minute cameo made Monga, at the time, the second youngest player to play in the Premier League, behind Arsenal's Ethan Nwaneri and it could be that the pair become team-mates in the very near future.

"You could see glimpses of his great qualities,” said Ruud van Nistelrooy, who was Monga’s manager in April 2025. “He's a great winger and has speed. He's a fantastic talent, a great boy.

Jeremy Monga made his Premier League debut aged 15

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Further minutes for Monga have indeed followed. This season he racked up over 1,000 minutes of senior football in all competitions, scoring once and providing two assists in 30 appearances across all competitions.

Though, after Leicester’s relegation to League One and despite signing a professional contract with the Foxes, which will take effect when he turns 17 in July, it is expected that the youngster will move on during the summer transfer window.

Arsenal are one of several teams reportedly interested in the highly-rated teenager, having opened talks with Leicester with it also being suggested in some quarters that they have won the race for his signature.

The fee mooted for Monga is said to be in the region of £10million-£15million, but the transfer could go to a tribunal to determine a fee if the two clubs are unable to reach an agreement.

It has previously been reported that Arsenal Mikel Arteta is a long-time admirer of the 16-year-old, who is widely perceived as one of England’s fastest rising talents.

Monga is a both-footed winger, who usually plays on right-hand side but can operate from the opposite flank, as well as in the No10 role behind the main striker.

Described as a natural trickster with defining traits that include speed and silkiness on the ball, Monga has drawn comparisons to England U16’s team-mate Max Dowman - who has made his first-team breakthrough at Arsenal this season - and Manchester City winger Jeremy Doku.

On the evidence so far, Monga would be a smart long-term signing for the Gunners. One that aligns with their recent aggressive youth recruitment drive having snapped up the likes of Jaden Dixon, Evan Mooney and the Ecuadorian twins, Holger and Edwin Quintero in the past 12 months.