Enzo Maresca has praised Jeremy Monga for choosing Manchester City over Arsenal this summer, insisting the 17-year-old winger made the correct call, according to Metro.

City completed the signing of Monga from Leicester in July in a deal worth up to £12.5 million with add-ons. They beat Arsenal to a player who had been strongly linked with a move to north London throughout the window.

“Absolutely yes,” Maresca said of City being an extremely attractive proposition for young players. “What the club and this organisation has made in the last 10-15 years is unbelievable.

“So it’s also for the young generation, for the young players, it’s a good reason why to join this club and I think Jeremy did the right choice.”

The teenager put pen to paper on a five-year contract running until 2031, becoming City’s fourth summer arrival alongside Mathys Detourbet, Pierce Charles and record British signing Elliot Anderson.

Maresca’s history with Monga proved decisive

Maresca, who took over at the Etihad this summer after replacing Pep Guardiola, worked with Monga briefly during his time in charge at Leicester, where the winger broke through as one of the youngest players in the club’s history.

That relationship is understood to have played a significant part in persuading the teenager to snub Arsenal’s advances in favour of City.

Monga himself has since opened up on how close the move to Arsenal came to happening, telling BBC Sport’s Shamoon Hafez that the Gunners’ interest had been serious.

“It [Arsenal interest] was very strong because it was very close to me going there, very close,” he said.

Despite that, the winger ultimately described City’s proposal as impossible to turn down, with the pathway to first-team football and the club’s recent record of developing academy talent proving persuasive factors in his decision.

On his move to the Etihad, Monga said: “When I became aware that Manchester City were interested, I knew instantly this was the right choice for me. For any young footballer, to become part of this amazing club is a dream come true.

“This has been the best club in England over the past 10 years, and it has also handed opportunities to players from the academy like Phil Foden and Nico O’Reilly which shows that the pathway is there.”

City’s academy pathway central to the pitch

City’s director of football Hugo Viana was similarly bullish about the teenager’s potential when the deal was confirmed in July, describing Monga as a player capable of making rapid strides in the years ahead.

City had made no secret of their belief that Monga, born in Coventry before joining Leicester’s academy at under-9 level, represented one of the most exciting young players outside the Premier League’s traditional powerhouses.

Since his introduction to Maresca’s squad, Monga has also spoken about settling into life at the club, crediting senior players for helping him adjust to a higher standard of competition.

He has already featured in pre-season fixtures, coming off the bench during City’s win over a K-League XI in Seoul as Maresca continues to assess his options ahead of his first full campaign in charge.

What it means for Maresca’s rebuild

The signing fits a broader pattern in City’s business this summer, with English talent a clear priority as Maresca reshapes the squad following Guardiola’s decade-long reign.

Monga joins a group of academy graduates, including Foden and O’Reilly, who have been given senior opportunities at the Etihad in recent seasons.

Whether Monga forces his way into regular first-team contention this season or spends time developing further within City’s academy structure remains to be seen.

But for Maresca, the message is already clear: in choosing City over Arsenal, one of English football’s most coveted young talents has backed the right project.