Sources: Leicester City make Jeremy Monga transfer plan amid six-club race
Leicester City have endured a disappointing start to their Championship campaign after lofty hopes of confidently bouncing back to the Premier League.
Marti Cifuentes‘ side lost 2-0 to Blackburn last time out, raising questions about the manager’s position as they dropped to 14th in the table with two wins in 10.
However, one of the shining lights in what has been a dismal season so far is 16-year-old Jeremy Monga, who has established himself as a key player under Cifuentes.
The Leicester winger has made 12 appearances across all competitions this term, scored one goal and provided one assist despite the team’s struggles on and off the pitch.
However, that form has attracted interest from the country’s biggest clubs, with all of the Premier League‘s big six teams now keeping tabs on his situation.
Leicester plan to deter Man United’s Jeremy Monga interest
Football Insider revealed on 2 November that Man United have joined the race for Monga and hope to lure him away as part of plans to sign the country’s best young players.
As I revealed on the latest edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, United will not be alone in their pursuit, but Leicester are determined to agree professional terms with him when he turns 17, and feel they can convince him with more regular game time.
However, given his age and contract situation, Monga could leave Leicester for just £2million, with a compensation fee unlikely to represent his true value to the Foxes.
Speaking on the Inside Track podcast, I explained: “Yeah, I think it’ll be more than just Manchester United keeping tabs on Jeremy Monga.
“There still is the doubt at Leicester that he could leave because he hasn’t signed a professional contract yet, and he can’t do that until he turns 17.
“If he doesn’t sign a pro deal, he can be lured away for a nominal compensation fee as well. It won’t just be Man United looking at him. City still remain interested in him as well.
“I’m sure you’ll have probably all the Premier League’s big six who would be interested in signing the England Youth International as well.
“So Leicester are hoping they can persuade him to stay by offering him obviously a quicker pathway to first team football.
“He’s become a regular under Marti Cifuentes this season in the Foxes team as well. So they’ll be hoping that they can end this speculation by tying him down to a professional deal.”
This comes after Football Insider exclusively revealed in April that Man City and Liverpool pushed to sign Monga, but ultimately failed to get a deal over the line.
Marti Cifuentes facing sack calls amid Leicester turmoil
Cifuentes left QPR to join Leicester in the summer, but is now facing calls for his head at the King Power Stadium after an awful start to the new season.
Many of Cifuentes’ peers, including most recently Southampton boss Will Still, have been dismissed in recent weeks with the managerial merry-go-round underway.
Just four wins from 13 league games this season have left supporters frustrated, with many now calling for the boss’ head after a disastrous start to the season.
On top of the pressure on the manager’s position, Leicester are also dealing with financial concerns behind the scenes, leading to further frustrations.
With the threat of a potential points deduction looming at the King Power, fans are fearing the worst, and results on the pitch are doing little to prop them up.
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