Arsenal are moving too slowly in the transfer market this summer.
That sluggishness has now cost them a player they have been working to sign for months, with Jeremy Monga set to join Manchester City.
According to Hand of Arsenal, the 16-year-old winger “badly wanted” to sign for the Gunners.
Personal terms had been agreed, and Max Dowman had even been educating Monga about the club.
The general feeling was that this deal was going to get done, and it was only a matter of when.
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However, as it turns out, Andrea Berta was too slow. And just like that, City have swooped in, agreed a £10million package with Leicester, and wrapped it up.
Andrea Berta was too slow to wrap up Jeremy Monga deal
Hand of Arsenal revealed more details on how the Monga deal fell apart, and made their feelings clear online.
“Losing out on a talent who badly wanted Arsenal over £3-4 million is not being “disciplined”, it’s just dithering and stubbornness.
“He would have gone on loan, a club would have covered his wages and you could have flipped for profit but Andrea took too long and City should have never even had a chance.”
It’s not a good sign that such a credible club insider is talking like this. And they’re bang on.
Arsenal deemed Leicester’s initial valuation too high and held out, expecting Leicester to cave, while City came in and paid it without hesitating.
Improving the youth recruitment has been a clear line of focus from the club over the last 12 months or so.
Victor Ozhianvuna and the Quintero twins are among those highly-rated prospects agreeing to join, but losing Monga is less about the player specifically and more about the action, or lack of it.
It is becoming a common theme with Berta and is increasingly difficult to defend.
The Jeremy Monga deal collapsing needs to be a wake-up call for Andrea Berta
Considering the amount of leverage they have being Premier League champions, Arsenal have been moving too slowly this window.
That feeling is exacerbated by watching Tottenham pulling off serious business in such a swift manner, despite back-to-back relegation scares.
But it’s just July, right? The World Cup is still going on. Sure, but there was a similar feeling during Euro 2024, which led to a hugely underwhelming summer window culminating in the deadline day loan signing of Raheem Sterling.
Arsenal obviously have bigger fish to fry than Monga, with all due respect. Morgan Rogers. Bradley Barcola. Bruno Guimaraes. These are the deals that will define the window. But it is a warning.
Every other club at the top is going through a transition with a new manager. Arsenal are six years into a project, just won the title, and should be moving with conviction.
As Hand of Arsenal points out, dithering over a couple of million quid for a hugely talented player who wanted to come is not a good look.
Get Bruno done. Get Rogers or Barcola done. Pay what is required. Before it’s too late.
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