Fifteen-year-old starlet Jeremy Monga can make an impact for Leicester City in the short term – but manager Ruud van Nistelrooy will resist calls for him to feature this season.
Monga has emerged as one of the best young talents in the country over the past 12 months, with Wednesday's opponents Manchester City the favourites to win his signature.
The winger has been a regular for the club’s under-21s and has trained alongside van Nistelrooy’s senior squad, earning a place on the bench for the FA Cup tie at Manchester United in February.
With City in a desperate run of form in the Premier League, there have been calls from supporters for Monga to be given a first-team chance.
That’s especially with the winger progressing at a significant rate. In the under-21s’ last outing, a 3-2 win over West Ham, Monga scored a terrific solo goal, dribbling through three men before finishing, while he also set up goals for Jake Evans and Josh King.
But van Nistelrooy won’t be swayed. He’s been consistent in his stance that until Monga finishes school this summer and the restrictions on his training time are lifted, it is difficult for him to feature on matchdays.
Monga turns 16 in July and from the summer he will be in the fold, the manager has insisted.
“He’s developing really well and you can see how good he is,” van Nistelrooy said.
“I also mentioned the situation still as a 15-year-old, with school, and with the possibility to have him around the team, it’s limited. There are more things to it.
“We’re absolutely convinced he can have an impact on this club in the short term.
“I don’t mean now, because that’s going to be difficult. But when he turns 16, then things are easier and for next season he will be a member (of the squad) there. That’s the process we’re in with him now.”
While picking up points and trying to pull off a survival miracle is top of the agenda for City, van Nistelrooy is still looking to the future.
He has said previously that he will stand by his contract and remain at the club in the event of relegation.
That means assessing the academy players, seeing which of them could step up in the future, and tying them to contracts.
He said: “We have to use every moment to plan tomorrow and today, of course, but also look further.
“It's important to do that at the same time, and especially looking at young talents within the club and give them the chance.
“Of course we’re monitoring him (Monga) closely. We want him to stay and sign. We’re in that process with him.”
While City can offer Monga terms, he cannot sign a professional contract until he turns 17, which will be in July 2026.
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