Jeremy Monga has agreed to join Arsenal, and the clubs are now working through a compensation package with Leicester City. Arsenal can expect to seal the move soon, but the deal still has to be finished in talks.
The package under discussion is expected to fall between £10m and £15m. Monga is 16 and has already signed a professional contract with Leicester City that is due to come into effect on his 17th birthday on July 10, which leaves the clubs negotiating over a player who is already tied to Leicester but wants Arsenal.
Andrea Berta and the Arsenal plan
Arsenal have made Monga their priority after he made it clear that the Emirates Stadium is his preferred destination. He is viewed internally as a player with the potential to develop into a first-team player in the years ahead, and he is expected to become Arsenal's second summer signing after Piero Hincapie's loan from Bayer Leverkusen is turned into a permanent deal for €52m.
That gives Arsenal a clear pattern in this window. They are not just buying for the present; they are lining up a 16-year-old who could be shaped over time while another deal at the other end of the age scale is pushed through at €52m.
Leicester City reject opening offer
Leicester City rejected Arsenal's opening proposal before the negotiations continued. The refusal did not end the move, but it did force the clubs into a slower process over how much compensation should be paid and how the exit from Leicester should be handled.
Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea also made late attempts to persuade Monga to choose them instead. He held his line, and the conversation shifted back to Arsenal and Leicester City, with the fee now the main hurdle between agreement and completion.
Jeremy Monga and Leicester City
Monga has attracted interest from virtually every major club in Europe over recent months, but the immediate picture is narrower now. Arsenal have the player, Leicester City have the contract, and both sides are still defining the price that turns agreement into a completed transfer.
Will Arsenal and Leicester City agree on a compensation package that closes the deal for Jeremy Monga?
