Marti Cifuentes sent clear Leicester City, Stephy Mavididi demand involving "the most promising player in the Championship" | OneFootball

FLW's Foxes fan pundit believes that it's only a matter of time before Jeremy Monga is being used regularly from the off in Championship games

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Stephy Mavididi was a huge part of the Leicester City attack, which tore Championship defences apart two seasons ago, but so far this campaign, he has yet to make an impact.

The 27-year-old scored 12 times for the Foxes en route to the second-tier title in the 2023/24 campaign, but hasn't found the back of the net so far this year. After a struggling season in the Premier League, Mavididi's form has leaked into his Championship return, and the emergence of a certain 16-year-old wonderkid is putting his position at risk.

Jeremy Monga has been a breath of fresh air at the King Power Stadium this season, providing a big impact off the bench in games, scoring an equaliser against Preston North End and providing the assist for Ricardo Pereira against Birmingham City, which all but secured the three points.

Monga made his first league start for Leicester in Mavididi's absence during their 1-0 away win at Charlton Athletic, and FLW's Foxes fan pundit, Louchlainn Martin, believes that it shouldn't be long before Monga is starting ahead of the 27-year-old more regularly in league action.

Leicester City fan pundit assesses Stephy Mavididi's slow start to the Championship season

Speaking to Football League World, Martin said: "Stephy Mavididi has had a really poor 12 months or so.

"When we signed him two years ago in the Championship, he had a really good season, scoring 12 goals, creating six assists, and he was vital in the Enzo Maresca system on the left, linking up with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall.

"I think he's struggling at the moment, definitely last season, as he was in and out of the team under Steve Cooper and Ruud Van Nistelrooy, but especially this season too, where you'd expect him to be a lot better."

Last season wasn't a good one for Leicester, suffering immediate relegation and not looking great for it, even going as far as losing eight straight home games without scoring.

But unlike Abdul Fatwau, for example, who has scored twice and provided an assist so far this season, Mavididi hasn't been able to shake off the poor Premier League campaign in time for a year back in the Championship.

"I think he's really struggling with not having an out-and-out 10 alongside him, and his confidence is shot," Martin continued.

"When he gets on the ball out wide, he doesn't want to take on his man often, and when he does, he almost looks scared to shoot, which is a real shame, because he wasn't two years ago, and he scored some good goals."

Leicester City fan pundit demands more starts for Jeremy Monga

The Foxes fan pundit feels that it is time for Monga to receive more opportunities from the off.

So far, the 16-year-old has oozed confidence whenever he's come off the bench in the Championship, and whilst he could be utilised as an impact option late on in games, Martin believes that his talent is too good to be wasted on the bench.

"The manager has a really tough decision to make, but in my mind, it's not really that tough," he said.

"Mavididi doesn't have a lot of confidence, whereas on the bench, we have a 16-year-old with all the confidence in the world.

"When he's on the pitch, he's Leicester's best player, which is incredible to say for a 16-year-old.

"He's had recent England [youth team] call-ups, which is probably why he missed the last game, but Marti Cifuentes has to bring him into the starting 11. He started a few games ago when Mavididi had a knock, and now I feel it's time to bring him back in."

Already, Monga has had his say in a couple of goals in the Championship, and Martin believes that this will continue at a decent rate across a long 46-game season.

"I think he'll end the season with more goals and assists than Mavididi does," he concluded.

"It's crazy to say for a 16-year-old, but he really is the biggest talent, the most promising player in the Championship, and I do feel that he's going to go on to play for the biggest clubs in the world."

Leicester City must maximise Jeremy Monga's potential

Despite just turning 16 in July, Monga truly is one of the best raw talents in the second tier currently, and whilst Leicester will need to manage his minutes appropriately, they also need to maximise his potential.

It's clear that the exciting winger won't be playing Championship football for much longer, so for Leicester, it's almost a case of ensuring that he remains their player for as long as possible.

Someone of his talents can shoot Leicester back into the Premier League at the first time of asking, and that will give the Foxes the best chance at keeping him past the end of this season.

So, it shouldn't be long before the 16-year-old starts more regularly in the second tier, and when he does, Championship defences will need to be on high alert for the threat he can cause.