For Arsenal executives, newly crowned Premier League champion Mikel Arteta and their legions of expectant fans, securing a notable teenage winger from a League One club represents a simple play in the current transfer market. Though, to be fair, the opposing side in this negotiation is not just any old team, but Leicester City.
The latter are a club that has long thrived on a reputation for being difficult to break down on and off the pitch. The Foxes regularly punch above their weight - like, seriously!
Yet, the East Midlanders have hit the canvas in three of their previous four heavyweight fights. Knocked out of the Premier League twice in recent memory, the LE2 outfit has now been unceremoniously slumped into the third tier.
Consequently, big organisations in English football obviously consider LCFC's remaining assets fair game. And, in all honesty, City's prime players are all essentially in the transfer shop window waiting for the highest bidder to come calling.
​Four or five of the current Leicestershire squad are certainly up for sale as the club looks to recalibrate its finances: Ben Nelson, Abdul Fatawu, Jannik Vestergaard, Victor Kristiansen and the highly-rated Jeremy Monga. Indeed, Monga is the No.1 starlet on the Gunners' wishlist; he possesses the kind of raw potential that makes global scouts sit up and take notice.
The Coventry-born prodigy's professional contract kicks in next month, meaning while King Power executives will undoubtedly listen to offers, they remain structurally and financially protected. It is an ironically prudent monetary position for the often wasteful LCFC.
Leicester City have a strong position
However, Leicester seldom allow personnel to depart for cheap: the historic N'Golo Kante debacle permanently changed protocol on Filbert Way. In this era, Martyn Glover serves as the senior recruitment chief, yet many in the industry believe that apparently tough negotiator Jon Rudkin continues to pull every string behind the scenes.
"Arsenal's £5m bid for Leicester winger Jeremy Monga rejected"The Times
The only sign-off required for Rudkin's typically flawed (but in this case, sound) strategic ideas is from chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha (Top). Leicester therefore, according to The Times, initially rejected Arsenal's opening £5 million Monga offer, clearly hoping for a £10m valuation or a tribunal's input to reach a record-breaking amount.
"Leicester are believed to want about £10million plus a 15 per cent sell-on fee for 16-year-old, who made seven Premier League appearances aged 15"
The North Londoners remain convinced of the youngster's trajectory, dancing around a negotiator who refused to let the bell ring on a bargain deal. Ultimately, the capital club are yet to land a knockout blow.
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