21 Jul 2026 12:57 BST |
4 min read
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Arsenal are set to lose Mishel Nduka after the youth prospect reached an agreement to join Manchester City, according to David Ornstein.
The Athletic’s Ornstein understands the 16-year-old midfielder turned down a highly competitive long-term contract with the Gunners.
England youth international Nduka is now poised to undergo a medical ahead of joining Man City on scholarship terms, according to Ornstein.
Mishel Nduka | England U16 🏴 Highlights pic.twitter.com/d42CQKWmtw
— N5Local (@n5local) April 23, 2026
Nduka moved to Arsenal from Charlton Athletic in 2025 and featured for both the Under-18s and Under-21s sides last season.
The news comes after Enzo Maresca’s Man City acquired 17-year-old winger Jeremy Monga from Leicester City earlier this month.
Man City paid an initial €11.75m (£10m) rising to €14m (£12m) in potential add-ons to land Monga, who was previously a target for Arsenal.
The Athletic reported earlier in July that Arsenal had deemed Leicester’s asking price too high and therefore withdrew their interest in Monga.
Man City continue drive to round up the best talent in England
Monga’s signing, and the expected acquisition of Nduka, reflect City’s continued drive to develop the best young talent in England.
City won the Premier League 2 Division 1 title four times in five seasons between 2021 and 2025.
Manchester City U18s are the 2025/26 FA Youth Cup Champions.🏆🩵🤍
After an incredibly tight fixture they have beaten Manchester United 2-1 in the final.✅
Floyd Samba opened the scoring and Reigan Heskey scored the winner.✨ pic.twitter.com/Lq84HQUyUl
— The Talent Hunter 🎯 (@TalentHunter) May 14, 2026
They have also competed in the last three FA Cup Youth Cup finals, winning two, including last season’s 2-1 victory over rivals Manchester United.
Nduka’s departure represents the latest blow at youth level for Arsenal, who also missed out on signing Emmanuel Mbemba this month.
BBC Sport reported in June that the 18-year-old defender was said to favour a move to Arsenal ahead of leaving Paris Saint-Germain.
However, Mbemba has since joined Ligue 1 side Paris FC, who are now managed by former Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior.
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