Noni Madueke’s possible move to Arsenal from Chelsea has already divided one fanbase.
On Wednesday, purported Arsenal fans got the hashtag #NoToMadueke trending on social media. A petition was then launched on Thursday against his arrival at the Emirates Stadium. As The Athletic reported on Wednesday, the two clubs are now in talks, with Arsenal and the winger agreeing personal terms.
Social media often lacks the nuance of reality, and there will be positives and negatives to Madueke’s move from the perspective of both clubs. So The Athletic asked our Arsenal expert Art de Roche and our Chelsea expert Liam Twomey to have a conversation about his mooted move.
Below, they discuss whether or not the move makes sense for each side, why the response online has been so vociferous, and which team the transfer will work better for.
Does Madueke leaving make sense for Chelsea?
Liam Twomey: From a squad-balance perspective, yes. Pedro Neto has firmly established himself at the top of Enzo Maresca’s wing pecking order with his Club World Cup performances, and the Portugal international prefers to operate from the right flank. Cole Palmer has been deployed on that side for stretches of games in the United States in tweaked versions of Chelsea’s system.
That is before we even consider that Palmeiras prodigy Estevao arrives at Cobham this summer, and is likely to split his game time between attacking midfield and right wing. Tyrique George can operate on either flank, and Joao Pedro was recruited in part for his ability to play in any of Maresca’s attacking positions.
Kendry Paez is with (though not part of) the Club World Cup squad. Fast-forward 12 months, and Chelsea will also welcome Geovany Quenda, another dynamic young left-footed winger, from Sporting CP. Maresca has plenty of alternatives to Madueke on the right, and the signing of Jamie Gittens from Borussia Dortmund lessens the need for him on the left.
Madueke is also emerging as one of Chelsea’s best opportunities to raise significant sale funds in this transfer window, and the importance of selling as well as buying was underlined by the terms of the negotiated settlement entered into with UEFA this month after being found in breach of the governing body’s financial rules.
Madueke is not indispensable under Maresca (Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
Would his arrival benefit Arsenal?
Art de Roche: Madueke would provide Arsenal with much-needed depth in wide areas.
Mikel Arteta’s reliance on Bukayo Saka on the right wing was highlighted as far back as the 2020-21 season, so having an option who could allow him to be rested would be welcome.
Madueke’s ability to play on the left could also help Arsenal, but that may come down to whether Arteta is comfortable playing a left-footer on that side. He did use Gabriel Martinelli, a right-footer, on the right at times last season, but that was only when Saka and Ethan Nwaneri were injured.
Why are Arsenal fans having doubts over his signing?
De Roche: There will be a few factors behind this. One of the most important is likely the timing in comparison to other deals.
Madueke could become Arsenal’s first attacking signing of the summer, which fans would not have envisaged at the start of the window. Had this come about after the arrival of a striker and another winger/attacking midfielder, there would naturally be a different mood among the fanbase.
Another key factor is that this is yet another Chelsea player. Most players who have traded Stamford Bridge for the Emirates have not set the world alight. The more this trend continues, the more tiresome it becomes. The cost of signing a player from Chelsea also makes it a baffling move to some when other clubs find young, exciting talent abroad more frequently than Arsenal for less.
Due to the politics of new signings, Arsenal have also seen former Chelsea players take minutes that were previously given to fan favourites, which leaves a sour taste.
Arsenal fans online seemed to be in unison against this potential signing, but there has since been a swell of support for Madueke. The hashtags on either side of this debate appeared to be light-hearted social media talk at first, but the creation of a petition against Madueke signing is going over the top.
That being said, the negative sentiments would not be present in stadiums. For example, Aaron Ramsdale’s arrival in 2021 was similarly divisive. Most fans on social media were against the signing, and were vocal about it. On Ramsdale’s debut, away against West Bromwich Albion, he was applauded by the travelling support as he came out to warm up pre-match. That is very rare, but you could tell it was a gesture that was appreciated and helped him settle on the pitch.
And would Chelsea fans have concerns over him being sold?
Twomey: Madueke’s departure would likely prompt a range of reactions. He is a polarising figure who has had a rollercoaster career at Chelsea, featuring the nadir of very publicly trying to take a penalty away from Palmer against Everton in April 2024 and the peak of a brilliant 14-minute hat-trick against Wolves at Molineux last September.
Many supporters appreciate a player whose first instinct is always to run at his full-back, particularly within the context of the frustrations some fans feel watching the slow, patient possession Maresca demands. To others, Madueke can be deeply frustrating with his decision-making in the final third, occasionally giving the impression of being out for himself.
Very few would disagree that he has real talent, and that is where the concern lies. Consistency has eluded Madueke, but his best flashes are tantalising; does he have another level to reach?
At 23, it remains very possible that he does and if Chelsea decide to sell him now, he will not lack motivation to demonstrate it to them at every opportunity.
Saka would benefit from being able to have breaks (Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
Who do you think will benefit most from the deal?
Twomey: The success of Chelsea’s recruitment model depends just as much on their ability to sell profitably as it does on buying intelligently. Every player who is not absolutely integral to the team Maresca is building has a price, and Madueke has never managed to make himself indispensable at Stamford Bridge.
If you are confident he never will, cashing in now and using those funds to make other bets on potential in that position makes sense within the broader Clearlake strategy. Whether it be Estevao, Paez or Quenda, Chelsea already have an abundance of exciting young talent that needs room to grow into the first-team squad in the next two years.
But it is easy to see a world in which Chelsea and Arsenal could win from this deal. Madueke is a good Premier League winger who, at the very least, could lighten the onerous minutes load on Saka and maybe even work alongside him, depending on how Arteta decides to align things.
It is also possible that Chelsea could regret letting Madueke go — especially to a Premier League rival — but as long as they get the price they want, that outcome feels unlikely.
De Roche: It feels like a deal that suits Chelsea more than Arsenal.
They signed Madueke two years ago for £28.5million ($39m at current rates) from PSV and look set to make a decent profit. From their perspective, it is a positive example of how their approach to business works.
For Arsenal fans, his relative youth is a silver lining. The winger scored 11 goals and assisted five in all competitions last season, so there is a body of work on which to develop.
That does feel like more of a punt than a guarantee, however, with Madueke’s time at Chelsea littered with glimpses of quality instead of consistent performances.
(Top photo: Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images)
