Arsenal have made contact with Chelsea over signing winger Noni Madueke.
The clubs are now in talks and, as The Athletic reported on Saturday, Arsenal have already agreed personal terms with the winger over a proposed five-year deal. Madueke is prioritising the north London side over any other options.
The Athletic reported on July 1 that Madueke, 23, was one of the options being considered by Arsenal as they sought to add to their forward line.
The forward has played 46 times for Chelsea this season, including five times in the Club World Cup in the United States and in 32 of their 38 Premier League games. In those games, he has registered 11 goals and five assists, an improvement on his eight goals and four assists from 2023-24.
This is not the first time that Chelsea and Arsenal have engaged over a transfer this summer, with goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga joining Mikel Arteta’s side after they triggered his £5million ($6.8m) release clause.
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca twice chose to leave him out of his matchday squad in the 2024-25 Premier League season.
Madueke was dropped for the 3-0 win over Aston Villa in December for his performance in training, and again for the defeat by Fulham later that month in what Maresca called a “technical decision”.
The Englishman joined Chelsea from PSV Eindhoven in January 2023 after also representing Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace at youth level.
Madueke made his debut in August 2024 and has gone on to feature seven times for his country.
How Madueke has improved his game
Analysis by data writer Ahmed Walid
Madueke is a direct dribbler who thrives in one-versus-one situations and is able to play on either flank, with the majority of his minutes coming down the right wing.
Arsenal’s focus on attacking those areas plays to Madueke’s profile, and his ability out wide would offer Arteta an additional option, and the chance to rest Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli more often.
Madueke’s dribbling is the most eye-catching part of his game, with his speed and ability to go both ways being vital.
Last season, 33 per cent of his total carries in the Premier League were progressive, defined as carries greater than five metres and move the ball at least five metres towards the opposition goal — only Jeremy Doku (38 per cent) had a higher share among players who played at least 900 minutes.
Down the right flank, Madueke’s dribbling on the outside theoretically puts him on his weaker foot, but his ability to use his right foot to strike at goal or pick one of his team-mates is actually one of his strengths.
Another feature of Madueke’s game is his ability to create shooting situations for himself. The fact that he is able to shoot with either foot from different angles makes him unpredictable, and that is complemented by his talent in opening up shooting angles by taking small touches of the ball.
(Photo: Francois Nel/Getty Images)
