New Arsenal signing has been reclassified as a homegrown player

In partnership with

Just Arsenal News

·25 July 2025

New Arsenal signing has been reclassified as a homegrown player

Noni Madueke has been reclassified as a ‘homegrown’ player by the Premier League, just a week after completing his move to Arsenal from Chelsea.

The 23-year-old winger became Arsenal’s fourth signing of the summer following the arrivals of Kepa Arrizabalaga, Martin Zubimendi and Christian Nørgaard. His reported £52 million switch raised eyebrows initially, not just for the fee but because he was listed as a non-homegrown player at Chelsea. That classification has now changed.

OneFootball Videos

According to The Athletic, the Premier League has internally updated Madueke’s registration to reflect his homegrown status. The adjustment was made following a request submitted before the end of the 2024-25 season.

Why Madueke Now Counts as Homegrown

Premier League rules define a homegrown player as one who has been registered with an FA-affiliated club for at least three seasons prior to the end of the season in which they turn 21. Despite moving to PSV Eindhoven at 16 and remaining there until his move to Chelsea in January 2023, Madueke had already fulfilled the required three years at Tottenham Hotspur’s academy.

He did not make a senior appearance for Spurs, but his time in their youth setup satisfies the criteria. As a result, Arsenal now benefit from having an additional homegrown player in their squad, a key advantage under squad registration rules.

Noni Madueke (Arsenal.com)

Madueke Given Extra Rest Before Joining Training

Although Madueke’s arrival at Arsenal was confirmed last week, he has yet to join first-team training. The forward was granted extended leave due to his lengthy campaign with Chelsea in the Club World Cup, and he was not part of the squad that travelled to Asia for pre-season.

He is expected to link up with the Gunners in early August and could feature in upcoming friendlies against Villarreal and Athletic Club.

The update to his homegrown status means Arsenal’s summer signing is now not only a tactical asset, but also a strategic one in terms of squad registration.

Happy to hear your thoughts in the comments.

Benjamin Kenneth __________________________________________________________________________________________ ADMIN COMMENT

So here are some simple rules which I must insist commenters follow….

You agree not to give any personal abuse to other Arsenal fans. Everyone is allowed to hold their own opinions even if you disagree with them. It COSTS NOTHING TO BE POLITE TO OTHER ARSENAL FANS.

CALLING ALL ARSENAL FANS! Anyone who would like to contribute an Article or Video opinion piece on JustArsenal, please contact us through this link…