Wanted by Arsenal but now at Man City - just how good is Monga?

Words by Sam Blitz | Image by Ben ScottHe turned 17 this summer - but he's already been part of a transfer saga between the two best clubs in England.Jeremy Monga looked set to go to Arsenal. He was keen to join after holding talks with the Gunners.But such is the rapid nature of the transfer market that Manchester City have snuck in at the 11th hour to sign him for £10m plus add-ons - a valuation Arsenal were unwilling to pay.It's a steep fee for someone so young but Monga's potential is just as big. Ever since he made his Premier League debut last year at 15 years and 271 days old, clubs have been watching him. He was so young on his Premier League debut that he was legally not allowed to have Leicester's front-of-shirt betting sponsor on his jersey.Monga's young age puts him in good company. He is the third-youngest Premier League player ever behind Arsenal duo Ethan Nwaneri and Max Dowman. No wonder the Gunners were keen on him.And even after a season with Leicester's first team in the Championship that resulted in relegation, the best teams in the land have seen more than enough to see the talent in Monga.Jeremy Monga is Next Up.Caution should be made when analysing a player so young, especially for someone who has played very few minutes. Out of his 30 Championship appearances last season, only eight were starts.It is probably why Arsenal were cautious about the fee Leicester wanted for their young winger.However, while the sample size on Monga is small, the underlying numbers hint that there is an exciting, raw talent in the works.The attribute that stands out is his one-vs-one ability – his desire to get at defenders. It is the top attribute for the modern winger, and there were two standout moments for Monga in a Leicester shirt last season.One was his goal against Preston right at the beginning of the Championship campaign in August. Surrounded by two defenders, Monga managed to pop the ball in between both of them before finding the near post.The other mo...