Manchester City
Jeremy Monga: City move built on Academy pathway and early Leicester breakthrough
Jeremy Monga joins Manchester City after breakthrough at Leicester and praise for Academy pathway ref
Manchester City have completed the signing of Jeremy Monga, a teenager who arrives after rapid progress at Leicester. The club highlighted Monga’s age and potential while the player pointed to City’s recent record of promoting young talent as a major reason for his decision.
“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.”
Predominantly a left winger, Monga can also 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 featured on a semi-regular basis during Leicester’s 2025-26 Championship campaign and set a record as the division’s youngest ever goalscorer when he scored against Preston North End at 16 years and 37 days.
Interest from several top clubs grew as Leicester struggled and suffered relegation from the second tier, and City moved to secure the teenager’s signature. On the acquisition, City’s Director of Football Hugo Viana said: “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.”
Monga is not expected to make an immediate impact in City’s first team, but the club’s recent balance of high-profile signings and internal development — including a domestic cup double last season that marked the end of Pep Guardiola’s 10-year tenure in charge — suggests there will be a clear pathway for his continued growth.
Manchester City
City weigh Maresca-linked names as transfer planning sharpens
City are assessing Maresca-linked options as they look for depth, balance and attacking cover in 2026/27.
Manchester City are confronting their toughest spell in a decade after the departures of Pep Guardiola, Bernardo Silva and John Stones since the end of last season. Rodri could still leave as Real Madrid begin to reciprocate his feelings of attraction.
City had already acted before that possibility gathered pace, signing Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest in a club-record move. The transfer briefly made him the most expensive Englishman of all time, even if the original plan was likely to use him alongside Rodri.
That leaves City looking for specific fixes and greater depth rather than a full rebuild. A winger is one area under consideration, and the Daily Mail reports that Chelsea’s Pedro Neto is among the names being explored, with Yan Diomande and Ibrahim Mbaye also mentioned.
Neto would also reconnect him with Maresca, under whom he made 77 appearances, contributed 27 goals and assists, and was the manager’s seventh most-used player in 2024-25. City’s interest is not tied only to Maresca’s move back to the Etihad Stadium either, since they had been linked with Neto and several other clubs in 2024 before he signed with Chelsea.
That naturally raises the question of which other players Maresca knew at Stamford Bridge might now enter the discussion. Malo Gusto looks the clearest practical fit, given the lack of depth at right back. Matheus Nunes remains the first choice there despite being a midfielder by trade, while Rico Lewis spent much of last season either out of favour or not healthy. The issue is the reported £75 million ($100 million) valuation.
City are stronger elsewhere in defence. Marc Guéhi has already been signed to effectively replace Stones in advance, while Vitor Reis is back after a formative loan at Girona. Maresca also has three left-back options in Nico O’Reilly, Rayan Aït-Nouri and Joško Gvardiol.
In midfield, Enzo Fernández had been a player of interest, but Moisés Caicedo may be the better fit to replace Rodri, although he would be close to impossible to sign. Cole Palmer remains another persistent topic, with speculation that he is homesick in London and longs to return to Manchester refusing to go away. Maresca never saw the same explosive breakout star Mauricio Pochettino worked with in 2023-24, but the talent is still there.
City recently gave Phil Foden a new contract, yet there is room for another fluid attacker as they prepare to stay active in four competitions well into 2027. If Palmer returned and rotated with Foden and Rayan Cherki, City would look formidable again.
Arsenal
Premier League clubs step up 2026/27 preseason with fixtures spread across the world
Premier League clubs are spread across Europe, Asia and the US in a busy 2026/27 preseason.
With the World Cup having only recently concluded, Premier League clubs are already deep into their 2026/27 preseason programmes. The calendar is tight, the travel is heavy and the purpose is clear: get players ready, test combinations and give new faces a chance to make an early impression.
Arsenal, the reigning champions, are among the later starters. Their first friendly comes on Aug. 1 against Girona in Catalonia, before further meetings with Real Betis, Borussia Dortmund and Como. They will then face Manchester City in the Community Shield at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff.
Aston Villa have already opened with a 5-0 win over Walsall and continue across Europe and Asia, while Bournemouth began with a 4-1 victory against St. Pauli. Brentford and Brighton & Hove Albion both have short schedules remaining, with each taking on European opposition in mid-August.
Chelsea’s first run under new manager Xabi Alonso takes them to Australia for matches against Western Sydney Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur, before trips through Hong Kong, Jakarta and Malaysia. Their final friendly is against Real Sociedad at Stamford Bridge.
Elsewhere, Everton have mixed early results and face a demanding route through Scotland, Germany and home soil before meeting Lille. Fulham also have work to do after a behind-closed-doors defeat to Norwich City. Hull City, Ipswich Town and Coventry City all have their own preparations mapped out, while Crystal Palace have already played twice and continue with fixtures in Italy and Germany.
Liverpool’s schedule includes a United States tour against Sunderland, Wrexham and Leeds United, followed by Monaco and two games against Como on Aug. 16. Manchester City are taking a lighter approach, starting with Inter in Hong Kong before facing the K-League All-Stars, Atlético Madrid and Arsenal. Manchester United, meanwhile, have already lost to Wrexham and beaten Rosenborg 5-0, with Atlético Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Leeds United and Milan still to come.
Newcastle United, Nottingham Forest, Sunderland and Tottenham Hotspur also remain busy, with each club using these final weeks to sharpen up before the league begins.
Manchester City
Rodri setback adds new layer to Madrid hesitation
Rodri’s back injury and possible surgery have deepened uncertainty over his future and City deal.
Manchester City midfielder Rodri is reportedly facing surgery on a back injury, introducing another complication into an already uncertain period around his future.
Madrid’s caution over the player has centred on two issues: whether he can be relied upon for consistent availability, and whether he can stay physically intact. That concern is hardly new. He suffered a serious knee injury in September 2024 and has still not fully recovered his club-level rhythm, even though he was excellent for Spain at the 2026 World Cup.
The Athletic reports that this latest problem is now likely to send Rodri back out of action. For Madrid, the development only reinforces why they have taken a step back in the market.
At present, there are no public details about the procedure itself. The exact nature of the injury and the likely recovery time have not been disclosed, though the timing is awkward. It comes soon after Arsenal confirmed that centre-back William Saliba will miss an “extended period” with a back problem that will not require surgery.
Whether those situations prove comparable remains to be seen, but there is already reason to doubt Rodri will be available for the start of the next Premier League season.
The injury is the latest turn in a long-running club-level saga. City want to keep Rodri, who has one year left on his contract, and are understood to have put a new deal on the table. So far, however, no agreement has been reached and Rodri is not believed to have shown any appetite for an extension.
Reports have suggested that Rodri regards a move to Madrid as a “dream”, yet that interest may not be shared. AS say Madrid officials have become tired of repeated speculation, have ruled out a bid for the 30-year-old, and even contacted City privately to make their position clear.
With only one year remaining on his deal, Rodri holds a strong hand. If he turns down City’s offer, the club would then have to choose between lowering their price for an immediate sale or risking losing him for nothing at the end of the 2026-27 season.
