It has taken Enzo Maresca all of a week to make his presence felt. The new Manchester City manager has already helped the club land one of the most sought-after young players in English football.
City have won the race to sign Jeremy Monga from Leicester City, beating Arsenal to the 16-year-old's signature. The winger had looked destined for the Premier League champions, but City made a late push that proved decisive.
Maresca's vision convinces Monga
According to Fabrizio Romano, City will pay Leicester £10 million for Monga. David Ornstein of The Athletic reports the fee is structured as £10 million plus £2.5 million in add-ons, with a sell-on clause also included in the deal.
Both Romano and Ornstein point to Maresca as a key factor in the transfer going through. The Italian manager's long-term plan for Monga was enough to convince the youngster to choose the Etihad over the Emirates.
Monga is the third youngest player ever to appear in the Premier League. He is an explosive right-footed winger who operates primarily from the left flank, using his dribbling and pace to beat defenders before cutting inside. He can also play on the right or through the middle.
For a 16-year-old, the raw material is all there. Whether he develops into the elite player those tools suggest will depend on what happens next, but Maresca has already sold him a vision that Arsenal could not match.
It is early days for the new manager, but this is a positive start. A signing like this — hijacked from a rival, driven by the manager's personal pitch — suggests the summer might not be as quiet as some feared.