Jeremy Monga reveals why Arsenal lost out to Manchester City after £10m switch

Jeremy Monga has opened up on why he chose Manchester City over Arsenal after joining from Leicester in a £10m deal. Arsenal were close, Mikel Arteta's team had almost completed the signing, but City moved late to make the 17-year-old winger theirs. He has already taken his first steps under Enzo Maresca, the manager who previously took charge at Leicester. In Seoul, City beat a South Korean league selection 3-1, with Rayan Aït-Nouri, Tijjani Reijnders and Divine Mubama on the scoresheet. Monga played about half an hour, had a goal disallowed for handball and forced a sharp save from the goalkeeper. 'The Arsenal interest was very strong and I was very close to going there, but the main factor was the club and the path they are on. They are so successful that the challenge of City was obvious. Every kid dreams of winning trophies and being at the top with the best,' Monga said. Monga is the third-youngest player in Premier League history, having made his top-flight debut at 15 years and 271 days against Newcastle. That season ended with Leicester's relegation to the Championship. Last term brought an even bigger disaster as the 2015/16 Premier League winners slipped into League One. Still, Monga made 30 senior appearances and insists the rough, fast Championship environment gave him an invaluable education. 'I don't see the negativity. I see all the opportunities Leicester gave me and I'm very grateful for that,' he said. Monga was a Chelsea fan as a child and grew up idolising Eden Hazard. Born in July 2009, he arrived just as Hazard was starting to shine at Lille. The young winger wants to copy Hazard's directness, ability to decide games and close control, and names his solo runs and goals against Tottenham and Liverpool as favourite moments. Hazard went on to win two Premier League titles, the Champions League and La Liga with Real Madrid. If Monga gets even halfway there, the £10m City invested will look like a bargain.