Noni Madueke to Arsenal: Why the Gunners are interested and why Chelsea are open to selling him | OneFootball

Arsenal are keen on signing Noni Madueke this summer if they can agree a deal with Chelsea.

The winger joined the Blues back in 2023 but is believed to open to making the move across London should the two clubs agree a fee.

There is still work to be done for that to happen, however. Chelsea will command a hefty sum for the 23-year-old, who was signed for £29m, while Arsenal still need to strengthen in other areas this summer and will be reluctant to spend too much of their budget.

The proposed deal came as a surprise to many, given Madueke has been a key man under Blues boss Enzo Maresca and Arsenal appear to have other, more important priorities in the transfer window. So does it really make sense?

Why Arsenal want Madueke

Madueke has played much of his football out on the right wing, allowing him to come inside onto his stronger left foot, but will know he won’t be first choice in that position at Arsenal with Bukayo Saka firmly occupying that role.

He does, however, have the versatility to play on both flanks. Arsenal lacked depth and quality in the wide positions last season, with injuries to Gabriel Martinelli and Saka hitting them hard.

Martinelli has also struggled for form at times, and Arsenal need more in attack if they are to finally go one better and win the title.

Signing Madueke would be a move to add more quality and depth to their front line. Gunners boss Mikel Arteta has been open about the need for the Gunners to have a bigger squad to better cope with injuries and compete in several different competitions at the same time.

The 23-year-old is yet to fully deliver on his potential but is already a good Premier League winger and certainly has room to get a lot better too. His hat-trick against Wolves last season showed what he is capable of when he is on top form.

Does it really make sense?

There is, however, a strong argument that Arsenal should prioritise signing a top class left winger to complete directly with Martinelli. Perhaps Arteta feels Madueke can be that, but there does appear to be better options out there.

Ebere Eze, for example, has thrived in a wide left position for Crystal Palace. Rodrygo would be Arsenal’s dream signing should Real Madrid be willing to let him go.

Arsenal might feel they can get a cheaper deal for Madueke than the alternatives, which would then allow them to further strengthen in other areas, but an upgrade on the left wing should be considered a top priority this summer.

If he is used primarily as a right winger, Madueke would likely also limit Ethan Nwaneri’s progression. He is still only 18 but looks like he has everything needed to become an elite player.

He can play centrally but has been really impressive out on the right, where he can cut in onto his stronger left foot, and scored some stunning goals doing exactly that last season.

Nwaneri has certainly done enough to show he can be the back up to Saka on the right and has a very high ceiling, perhaps higher than Madueke’s, while also being five years younger. Limiting his development does not make much sense.

Why would Chelsea let him go?

On the face of it, Chelsea letting him go would seem surprising. He played 41 times in all competitions last season and was regularly Maresca’s first choice on the right wing.

But Chelsea need to sell players this summer after agreeing a settlement with UEFA which saw them fined for breaking their financial rules. Unless the Blues have a positive transfer balance on their list of registered players for the Champions League, meaning their savings from sales must outweigh the costs of signings, then they will not be able to register new players for their European campaign.

Madueke was signed for a modest £29m meaning Chelsea could make a decent profit on him and would help them to comply with their settlement agreement.

Maresca is clearly a fan of Madueke but has also been left frustrated by him at times too, previously criticising his performances in training and calling him out publicly.

“The moment he starts to score or assist and is happy, he starts to drop a little bit and the reason why he was not playing is because I do not like the way he trained,” Maresca said of Madueke in December last year. “He has to understand that he has to train every day good. He has to be ambitious.”

Chelsea have already strengthened in the wide positions this summer, bringing in Jamie Gittens and Estevao as well as Joao Pedro who can also play out wide.

Letting him leave could backfire given it does not yet appear as though we have seen the best of him but with Chelsea eager to keep moving in the right direction and the financial requirements set out by UEFA in their settlement agreement, Madueke would be considered a necessary sacrifice to make.