Jeremy Monga Names Major Factor in Decision to Sign for Man City

City’s proven it can integrate youth with homegrown talents regularly breaking through.

Jeremy Monga’s put pen to paper on a long-term contract. | Manchester City

New Manchester City star Jeremy Monga says he’s excited to join the “best club in England” for the past decade and hopes to follow the examples of Phil Foden and Nico O’Reilly by breaking into the first team.

Monga, who celebrated his 17th birthday on Friday, has signed a five-year contract at Etihad Stadium and joins from Leicester City, who are now in League One just five years after winning the FA Cup, in a deal reported to be in the region of £12.5 million ($16.7 million).

“When I became aware that Manchester City were interested, I knew instantly this was the right choice for me,” Monga told club channels, having also been strongly linked with a move to Premier League champions Arsenal.

“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.”

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Monga on Track for Big Things

Jeremy Monga was also linked with Arsenal. | Mike Egerton/PA Images/Getty Images

Monga is predominantly a left winger but is versatile enough to play on the opposite flank. He made his professional debut for Leicester in April 2025 and became the second-youngest Premier League player in history in the process.

He played semi-regularly for Leicester in their 2025-26 Championship campaign and became the division’s youngest ever goalscorer when he netted against Preston North End at just 16 years and 37 days old.

Ever since, he’s been touted for a move to a big Premier League club—the intense interest in his services only increasing as a result of Leicester’s struggles and subsequent relegation from the second tier.

“Jeremy is an exciting player who has already made huge strides in his young career,” City’s Director of Football Hugo Viana said of Monga. “We were already very aware of him as a club and we have seen his ability first-hand from his time at Leicester. At 17-years-old we feel he is only going to continue to improve and that this is the correct next step in his career.

“We look forward to supporting him on every step in his journey.”

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City Good at Developing Young Players

Nico O’Reilly is one of the recent standout stars of City’s academy. | Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images

Monga’s not expected to make an immediate impact in City’s first team, but the past exploits of Foden, O’Reilly and others show that the Cityzens, who won a domestic cup double last season to end Pep Guardiola’s 10-year tenure in charge in style, are willing to nurture their own talent in addition to paying big.

O’Reilly is now playing an important part in England’s World Cup campaign having started the 2025–26 campaign as no more than a rotation option. Foden, meanwhile, has been at the epicenter of City’s success over the past decade, making a huge impact when he was in his early 20s. Rico Lewis is another player to have been given significant first team exposure in the past.

Monga has represented England as high as U-19 level and could be exposed to Carabao Cup and FA Cup action this season. Anything else may be regarded as a bonus in his first season, though the battle to secure his signature—Brentford were linked as well as Arsenal—suggests Monga is very well thought of and that he may come into the reckoning if City feel he’s able to push on and build on the impressive foundations laid at Leicester.

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