Arsenal face increasing competition from Brentford in the pursuit of 16-year-old Leicester City winger Jeremy Monga this summer. The teenager has been described as a “priority target” for the Gunners as the club looks to consolidate after a summer of heavy spending that helped them become English champions for the first time in 22 years.

Reports in The Times suggest Brentford have “stepped up” their interest and that “formal contact” with the player is expected. Leicester’s relegation from the EFL Championship at the end of 2025–26, and the club’s start to the new season in League One, make Monga’s departure more likely, but there are important timing details that could shape any move.

Monga remains 16 until July 10. That is the date when he turns 17 and can sign a first professional contract with Leicester. If he signs after that date the Foxes can command and negotiate a transfer fee. If he leaves before signing a contract the club would be cut out of the negotiation and would only receive compensation determined by a tribunal under the rules for free agents in England aged 23 or younger, which could be considerably less.

Brentford believe they can offer the young winger more immediate senior opportunities than he might find at a larger club like Arsenal, a factor described as holding “appeal” for the player. There is always the chance that getting stuck on the fringes without consistent opportunities at a bigger club like Arsenal could stall his progress. The Bees can point to a record of developing young players who went on to higher profile moves, such as David Raya and Bryan Mbeumo.

For Arsenal, and for manager Mikel Arteta, missing out would represent a setback in a transfer area identified as a priority. Should Brentford secure Monga, it would shift the balance in a contest that remains time sensitive and highly consequential for all clubs involved. Were Arsenal to prevail, it would leave consequences for Ethan Nwaneri.

Arsenal are reportedly close to making Leicester City’s 16-year-old Jeremy Monga their first signing as Premier League champions. Seeking to address squad needs in the forthcoming transfer window, The Times report that Leicester’s precocious winger Monga is a “priority target.”

Monga emerged as one of the youngest players to feature in the Premier League, debuting at 15 years and 271 days and becoming the third-youngest appearance-maker in Premier League history, behind Arsenal duo Ethan Nwaneri and Max Dowman. He went on to make further top-flight appearances and saw his involvement increase after Leicester’s relegation.

Leicester are resigned to losing the academy graduate following a season that ended with the club dropping to League One. The club will receive a fee when Monga turns 17 and signs professional terms on July 10; they are expected to seek more than $13.3 million (£10 million) either via a club agreement or decided by tribunal. That fee would also help address growing financial concerns at the club.

Monga was introduced to senior football during Leicester’s difficult 2024–25 campaign when the side struggled for attacking invention. He not only made his debut aged 15, he featured regularly in 2025–26 and appeared to be entrusted with greater responsibility in the Championship. Early in that season he scored a fine goal in defeat at Preston North End and produced a neat assist in a win over Birmingham City within the opening four matches. Across all competitions he reached 30 appearances, though the wider struggles of the team limited sustained individual output.

Technically raw but fast and direct, Monga is primarily deployed on the left wing and can cut inside onto his preferred right boot, though he is also comfortable on the opposite flank. Arsenal appear prepared to take a calculated gamble on a young forward whose ceiling the draft analysis describes as very high.

Jeremy Monga — 2025–26
Appearances: 27
Minutes: 921
Goals: 1
Assists: 2

Italian influence in English football has often been visible but comparatively rare when it comes to lifting the Premier League trophy. Only four Italian managers have won the title, and just three Italians have collected winners’ medals as players.

Carlo Ancelotti delivered the first Premier League success for an Italian in 2009-10. His Chelsea side finished a point clear of Manchester United, scoring 103 goals across the season and sealing the title with an 8–0 win over Wigan Athletic on the final day. Chelsea followed that triumph with an FA Cup victory six days later, conceding only once in that cup run.

Roberto Mancini presided over one of the division’s most dramatic conclusions in 2011-12. Manchester City needed victory on the final day to overhaul Manchester United. Trailing Queens Park Rangers 2–1 in stoppage time, Edin Džeko levelled in the 92nd minute and Sergio Agüero scored two minutes later to secure City their first Premier League crown and their first top-flight title since 1968.

Claudio Ranieri achieved the most improbable title success with Leicester City in 2015-16. Pre-season odds had placed the Foxes at 5000/1, yet Ranieri’s team prevailed ahead of Arsenal, Tottenham, Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United. A direct approach, astute recruitment and team spirit, with key contributions from N’Golo Kanté, Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez and important roles for Wes Morgan, Christian Fuchs, Danny Drinkwater and Shinji Okazaki, powered that campaign.

Antonio Conte won the Premier League in his first season in England after his 2016 appointment at Chelsea. The title was secured at the Hawthorns in May courtesy of a rare Michy Batshuayi goal. Conte’s side held off a strong Tottenham challenge with important contributions from Eden Hazard and Diego Costa.

As players, Mario Balotelli was the first Italian to earn a Premier League winner’s medal with Manchester City in 2011-12, scoring 13 goals in 23 appearances and providing the assist for the title-clinching finish at the end of that season. Federico Chiesa won the league with Liverpool in 2024-25, making six Premier League appearances including one start. Riccardo Calafiori was part of Arsenal’s title-winning squad in 2025-26.