Noni Madueke will prove Arsenal fans wrong – Here’s why

Robin Bairner

17 Jul 2025 17:15 BST
11 min read

Noni Madueke, Arsenal, 2025/26 — © IMAGO

Arsenal’s summer transfer is set to get lift off in the hours ahead, with the Gunners closing in on a major double deal for Viktor Gyokeres and Noni Madueke.

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While the Sporting CP striker is set to be welcomed with open arms at the Emirates Stadium, a distinctly frostier welcome has been reserved for the Chelsea winger.

Current ETV

Noni Madueke

M, AM (R)

Chelsea

Noni Madueke

M, AM (R)

Chelsea

ETV Range

€47.1M - €57.5M

Indeed, according to a poll conducted by Sky Sports, around 70% of Arsenal fans do not want to see their side sign Madueke.

Yet it appears that is exactly what sporting director Andrea Berta and manager Mikel Arteta have done. According to Fabrizio Romano, the 23-year-old signed his contract to become an Arsenal player on Wednesday.

Madueke, though, has shown signs that he could be moulded into a very useful weapon for the Gunners.

Why Arsenal fans are concerned by Madueke signing

One of the principal reasons why Arsenal supporters seem concerned by the arrival of Madueke is the €60 million (£52m) price tag associated with his signing.

Certainly, this appears a little high. Madueke has an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of €51.5m, suggesting Arteta’s side will pay over the odds, but not wildly so.

This worry goes hand in hand with concerns over his output last season. The former Tottenham youth only contributed 11 goals and four assists to the Blues, which is hardly a stellar record given that he could potentially block the development of Gunners youngster Ethan Nwaneri, who is poised to sign a new deal for the club.

His form was inconsistent, and he was notably wayward in his finishing. According to FBRef, his xG underperformance was the sixth-biggest in the Premier League.

Perhaps Madueke’s biggest crime, however, is that he called Chelsea the “biggest club in London” shortly after joining the Blues.

So why are Arsenal signing Madueke?

Arsenal need cover on both wings and Arteta sees potential in the England winger to do this. Primarily, though, the manager needs a replacement for Bukayo Saka, who faces being run down with the sheer volume of minutes he has played in recent years. Injuries haven’t taken their toll on the Gunners’ ace yet, and the aim is to make sure they never do with a sensible rotation strategy.

Madueke, like Saka, is an extremely dangerous dribbler. He boasted the second-highest tally of progressive carries in the Premier League last season and with a little more composure in front of goal would have scored far more regularly. Arteta will seek to improve him in this regard.

Indeed, the ceiling that Madueke possesses is high. Last season, he already displayed a strong level, with data analytics firm SciSports indicating that he was among the best wingers in England statistically last term.

Noni Madueke vs Premier League wingers: Overall performance (2024/25)

How much better can he get? The answer for Arsenal fans is ‘a lot’.

Although he’s not yet considered the calibre of a starter at the Emirates – and remember he’s only joining as a replacement – SciSports believes he has the potential to become an established first-team regular.

© SciSports - Noni Madueke has the potential to become a first-team starter at Arsenal

Yes, there are still creases in his game to iron out and, no, he’s not as strong an option as Real Madrid’s Rodrygo, but there’s little evidence yet to suggest the Brazilian is even available for transfer. With a €100m price on his head, he’s also considerably more expensive – perhaps to the extent of being unaffordable given the interest of big-spending Liverpool and the deal for Gyokeres.