Chelsea selling Noni Madueke to Arsenal solves unwanted Enzo Maresca problem | Football | Sport
Players going from Chelsea to Arsenal isn’t anything new, with the likes of David Luiz, Willian and Petr Cech having trodden that very path in the past. Regardless, it didn’t stop eyebrows from rising when news that the Gunners were plotting a bid for Noni Madueke hit the back pages last week.
The England international originally joined Chelsea as part of a £30million deal in 2023 and has at times impressed for the west London outfit. His performances have been plagued by inconsistency at times, but at just 23 years old, Madueke still has all of his best years ahead of him.
It’s rumoured a fee in the region of £50m could be enough to prise Madueke away from Stamford Bridge, with Arsenal having reportedly agreed personal terms already. While some might be struggling to see the logic in Chelsea letting him go, there is a chance his departure fixes an unwanted problem for Enzo Maresca.
Madueke would be the second wide forward to leave Chelsea this summer, given the Conference League winners passed up on the opportunity to sign Jadon Sancho permanently from Manchester United. They have already replaced Sancho with Jamie Gittens, meaning Madueke leaving would represent a reduction in the number of out-and-out wingers Chelsea have in their squad.
In theory, it should give Maresca a better chance of streamlining his squad for the upcoming season, as well as giving him a better idea of who his strongest options are. That wasn’t always the case last season, given how many attacking options Maresca had at his disposal.
Of course, Chelsea have also added Joao Pedro and Liam Delap to their roster this season, but early signs from the Club World Cup suggest the pair will be used more centrally. What’s more, there may even be more exits in attack, given Joao Felix has fallen out of favour and Christopher Nkunku is being linked with a move away.
It comes ahead of a crucial season for Maresca and several of his Chelsea players. For the first time under Todd Bohely’s stewardship, the capital club qualified for the Champions League and ended their four-year wait for silverware by lifting the Conference League. But with teams in and around them spending big on fresh faces this summer, Chelsea can’t afford to start the season on the back foot.
Before that though, Maresca will have the chance to add a second trophy to the cabinet, with Chelsea still fighting strong in the Club World Cup. The two-time European champions face Fluminense for a place in the final tonight.