Arsenal on the verge of signing their own Olise with verbal agreement close

Coming into this transfer window a huge amount is expected of Arsenal after winning the Premier League for the first time in 22 years.

Josh Kroenke has already assured fans that plans are in place, saying: “We’ve already had a few conversations about different areas that we think we can improve – both on and off the pitch”. As it happens, Mikel Arteta has also voiced his opinions.

Speaking after the Champions League final he realised now was the time to show maximum ambition.

Arteta said: “We start to make some very important decisions if we want to reach another level. And we’re going to have to show that ambition. We are more than capable of doing it, but it’s going to demand us to be very, very ambitious, very fast and very smart.”

So who will arrive? Starting off by looking at the forward line would be preferable.

Arsenal already closing in on first summer signing

Take one look at the starting XIs in Budapest last weekend and it was obvious the difference between between the two sides. Arsenal have lacked attacking threat this term despite their success and it’s crucial they resolve that before anything else.

One of their top targets is Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers with direct talks having already been held with the Englishman’s agents. Likewise enquiries have made been made to Marcus Rashford to understand his situation at Manchester United.

Other options to strengthen in the forward positions include PSG’s Bradley Barcola and AC Milan’s Rafael Leao. While they would arrive as first team ready players, Andrea Berta and Co are looking ahead to the future too.

In recent weeks, reports have outlined that Arsenal have been in talks to secure the signing of Jeremie Monga, the teenage winger at Leicester City.

Negotiations have been advancing quickly and according to journalist Ben Jacobs, advanced talks are taking place to seal a move.

In full, Jacobs said: “Advanced talks taking place with Leicester after Monga picked Arsenal over several other clubs. A full verbal agreement is close.”

Monga is currently just 17 years of age and after Leicester’s relegation to League One, an exit felt inevitable.

A transfer fee at this moment in time is uncertain. The age of the player means it may well needed to be determined via a tribunal.

Why Monga could be a game-changer in Arsenal’s attack

The teenage sensation may well have been playing in the Championship last season but he is just an extraordinarily good talent.

One goal and two assists in the second tier may not say too much but the fact he played 27 senior matches at the age of 17 should be enough to convince you that he is the real deal.

Any normal player at that age would still be featuring in academy football but Monga is not normal, he’s one of the youngest players to ever play Premier League football.

With seven top-flight appearances under his belt for the Foxes, only Ethan Nwaneri and Max Dowman have played in England’s top flight at a younger age during the Premier League era.

So, why all the hype and why do Arsenal want him? Well, if you hadn’t already worked it out, he’s one of the best young players in European football.

Hailed as “one of England’s brightest talents” by Como scout Ben Mattinson, he has also celebrated the young winger as “England’s Ousmane Dembele”.

Not just like Dembele, Monga is a player who is cut from a similar cloth as players like Bukayo Saka and Michael Olise. Mattinson notes how he is a “two-footed ball striker.” In that regard he’s certainly like Saka.

Yet, like Olise, the Leicester starlet has lightning quick feet and an elite dribbling ability. GOAL even highlight the comparison by writing that Monga’s “ability to outwit defenders, ghost past them and produce when it matters could be likened to Michael Olise’s playing style.”

Not just capable of playing on either flank, a further boon for Arteta is that the teen can play through the middle as a 10. He’s a bit like the aforementioned Rogers in that regard.

While the winger may well be young, this is a really exciting addition to the Arsenal ranks. After all, they need more quality and depth in Monga’s favoured position on the left flank.

Gabriel Martinelli scored just a solitary goal all season and there was a lengthy period where Leandro Trossard failed to find the net in 25 straight appearances.

Monga would not arrive and instantly waltz into the starting XI but a path way to the senior team should not be hugely challenging in the years to come.

Arsenal have seen the likes of Dowman and Nwaneri come through the ranks in recent years but neither of them are left sided forwards. That’s an area where it feels like the Hale End academy have failed to produce.

Therefore, stealing Leicester’s biggest jewel ticks so many boxes. This is an elite talent in the making.