Manchester City are set to poach a teenage prodigy from Arsenal's academy — just days after beating them to a deal for the sought-after Leicester City winger, Jeremy Monga.
The newly minted Premier League champions had emerged as the red-hot favourites to land Monga following Leicester's relegation and talks over a deal for the 16-year-old were at an advanced stage before City attempted a hijack by swooping in last week.
City win £12.5m race for Monga
Monga is now set to head to The Etihad in a deal worth £12.5 million in total with Arsenal subsequently withdrawing their interest in the talented England Under-18 international.
And the Gunners now look set to lose out on another talented young player to their title rivals, this time from their own academy.
Mishel Nduka chooses City over Arsenal
The Mail report that Mishel Nduka is in talks to join Manchester City rather than penning fresh terms with Arsenal following his scholarship. Nduka, a midfielder, joined Arsenal back in September 2025 from Charlton and has impressed in the academy sphere. He follows Kyran Thompson in deciding to leave Arsenal for a rival, with the same report claiming Thompson is set to join Tottenham.
The departures come during a transitional period for Arsenal's academy, with manager Per Mertesacker moving on. The club appointed Pascal De Maesschalck from Strasbourg as their new academy director last week.
Monga's rapid rise
Monga was on the radar of a host of European heavyweights after featuring regularly for Leicester in the Championship last season, where he impressed despite a poor campaign for the club which culminated in relegation to the third tier. The winger's capture is an early win for Manchester City's new manager, Enzo Maresca, who knows Monga from his time in charge of Leicester.
Monga has already made his top-flight bow and is the third-youngest player to appear in a Premier League match, making his debut aged 15 years and 271 days.
