Max Dowman reacts to Jeremy Monga's message after he rejects Arsenal to sign for Man City
Max Dowman has reacted after Jeremy Monga penned his goodbye letter to Leicester City following confirmation of his move to Manchester City.
Just a day after his 17th birthday, the teenager has signed a five-year contract with the Citizens after a deal worth up to £12.5million was agreed.
The winger is the third-youngest player to ever play in the Premier League and made 30 senior appearances across all competitions for the Foxes last season.
Monga had been close to signing for Arsenal but talks stalled and Man City hijacked the deal, with Enzo Maresca reportedly key in the negotiations.
The former Leicester manager was aware of the winger from his time at the King Power Stadium, and was keen to bring him to the Etihad Stadium.
It remains to be seen what is next for Monga, who may be set for an initial loan next season.
Max Dowman likes Jeremy Monga post
Should Arsenal have secured a deal for Monga, they would have had all three of the youngest Premier League players ever.
Ethan Nwaneri is the youngest, with his debut coming off the bench in 2022 when he was just 15 years and 181 days old.
Dowman followed him last year, when he made his debut at the age of 15 years and 235 days old.
The impressive thing about both Dowman and Monga, however, is that their first appearances were not purely to take the record, as Nwaneri's was.
Dowman won a penalty on his debut and played a regular role in Arsenal's Premier League title race, becoming the youngest-ever Premier League scorer when he netted against Everton in March.
He has featured with Monga for England's youth teams, and would have hoped to link up with him for the Gunners.
The new Man City signing took to social media on Saturday and wrote that he will "always carry the memories and lessons with me" from his time at Leicester. Dowman liked the post, along with fellow Arsenal youngster Marli Salmon.
What did Monga say after joining Man City?
Monga will hope to avoid getting lost in the Man City loan system, which can, at times, appear to stunt a player's growth.
"When I became aware that Manchester City were interested, I knew instantly this was the right choice for me," Monga told Man City's website.
"For any young footballer, to become part of this amazing club is a dream come true. 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."