Manchester City have announced the arrival of England youth international Jeremy Monga on a permanent basis from League One side Leicester City.

City have paid £10 million for the 17-year-old winger, with the deal possibly rising to £12.5 million with add-ons.

Record-breaking teenage star Monga's signing for the Cityzens comes one day after he turned 17, and he has penned a five-year deal until 2031.

How Manchester City Beat Arsenal to Jeremy Monga

A few weeks ago, all indicators pointed to Jeremy Monga completing a transfer to Arsenal, as the Gunners had held direct talks with Leicester for a transfer.

Personal terms were expected to be no problem for the teenage star, but City jumped into the race once Enzo Maresca was officially announced as their new manager.

The Italian tactician had seen Monga on the verge of making his breakthrough at the King Power Stadium during his time in charge of the Foxes in the 2023-24 season.

Armed with a personal relationship with the winger, Maresca pushed for the Cityzens to bring him in this summer without fail.

They joined the race, and while Arsenal were unwilling to meet the asking price from Leicester, they were happy to spend the £10 million on the prodigy, and ultimately beat their rivals to his signature.

Jeremy Monga's Record-Breaking Rise at Leicester City

Monga joined Leicester as an U-9 player and rose through the ranks at the club, playing for various age groups.

He made his mark on the PL2 when he became the youngest player to score in the competition in November 2024 against Aston Villa, doing so aged 15 years, three months, and 22 days old.

His performances in the academy had caught the eyes of the first-team bosses, and Ruud van Nistelrooy handed him his senior debut in the Premier League match against Newcastle United in April 2025.

Monga was not a one-time player, and he went on to play six more times for the Foxes in the Premier League in that season, when he was just 15 years old.

They were relegated to the Championship, and he scored his first goal for the club aged 16 years and 37 days old, becoming the youngest player to ever score in the second tier of English football.

He is also the youngest player to start a game for Leicester City, doing so in the Carabao Cup in August 2025.

He went on to play 30 times across all competitions for the Foxes in the 2025-26 season as a 16-year-old.

What Young Footballers Can Learn From Jeremy Monga's Journey

The younsters decision to join City showed a young man who is not swayed by external opinions and has a mind of his own.

According to him, the main point that led him to move to the Etihad was the fact that his new club have consistently been the best in England for the last decade.

He also pointed to examples of young players coming through the club's academy to earn a first-team berth as a factor that stood out for him.

"When I became aware that Manchester City were interested, I knew instantly this was the right choice for me. For any young footballer, to become part of this amazing club is a dream come true," Monga said after signing for the Sky Blues.

He added: "This has been the best club in England over the past 10 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."

Monga's journey so far is proof to young players that they do not need to jump ship at every opportunity, and instead knuckle down and work hard.

The England U-19 international was at Leicester since U-9 level and could have left for a bigger club as an U-13 or U-14, but chose to remain at the club.

The result of this? A faster route to senior football at just 15 years old, with coaches from the academy having had enough time to gauge his level.

Jeremy Monga enjoyed his time at Leicester City and leaves the club as a reference point for their academy players with respect to how far they can go with the right attitude.