City’s new teenage forward, Jeremy Monga, has opened up on turning down Arsenal to head to the Etihad instead.
He told BBC Sport that Arsenal’s interest was “very strong” before he chose City. “It was very close to me going there, very close,” he said. “The main decision was probably the pathway and the club itself. They’ve been so successful that it was a no-brainer when City called.”
The 17-year-old, who joined from Leicester in a deal worth around £10m plus add-ons, signed a contract running until 2031. He said he sees his long-term future at City over Arsenal: “I feel like, to me personally, I see myself at City more. I see myself in blue.”
Monga made his first appearance for the club on Wednesday, replacing Rayan Ait-Nouri in the 62nd minute of a 3-1 pre-season win over the K-League All-Stars in Seoul.
He becomes the latest arrival from a Leicester academy that produced serious interest from across Europe. Chelsea, Barcelona and Real Madrid were all credited with interest before City moved for him, and he made history at Leicester as the second-youngest player to appear in the Premier League.
“Once I get the opportunity, I just need to show myself,” Monga said. “Once I do that, everything will take care of itself.”
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