Arsenal agree personal terms with Noni Madueke ahead of potential transfer – The Athletic – The New York Times

EPL
Arsenal have agreed personal terms with Noni Madueke as they consider making an approach to Chelsea for the winger.
Madueke, 23, has given his green light to the move but there have been no club-to-club talks yet.
Arsenal have good relations with Chelsea and have already done business with them this summer, with goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga joining Mikel Arteta’s side after the north London side triggered his £5million ($6.8m) release clause.
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Madueke is of interest to Arsenal as they weigh up options to provide depth on the right wing, while the England international is also capable of operating on the opposite flank.
The Athletic reported on July 1 that Madueke was one of the options being considered by Arsenal as they searched for a versatile attacking player to add to Mikel Arteta’s squad this summer, with Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze and Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers also under consideration.
Madueke has made 45 appearances for Chelsea this season, including four at the Club World Cup in the United States.
He scored 11 goals and added five assists despite missing time with a hamstring injury and Enzo Maresca twice opting to leave him out of his matchday squad. Madueke was dropped for the 3-0 win over Aston Villa in December over his apparent performances in training. He was also omitted from the defeat by Fulham later that month in what Maresca called a “technical decision”.
Madueke joined Chelsea from PSV Eindhoven in January 2023 and has gone on to appear in 91 matches for the club. His contract runs until 2030.
He previously represented Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace at youth level before joining PSV on a three-year deal in 2018 and later extending his contract with the Dutch side. Due to the age he left for the Netherlands (16), Madueke does not count as homegrown in England for the purposes of Premier League and UEFA squad regulations.
Madueke was first called up to the England senior squad in August 2024 and has gone on to win seven caps. He was previously a regular at youth level.
Chelsea have made significant additions in attacking areas this summer with Liam Delap arriving for £30m from Ipswich Town, Joao Pedro joining from Brighton & Hove Albion for in a deal in excess of £50m and Jamie Gittens signing from Borussia Dortmund for an initial fee of £48.5m plus £3.5m in potential add-ons.
Additional reporting: Seb Stafford-Bloor
By Chelsea correspondent Liam Twomey
Madueke has been a reasonably productive winger for Chelsea since arriving from PSV, without ever establishing himself as an indispensable starter.
His aggression in taking on his defender in 1v1 situations has been valued by Mauricio Pochettino and Enzo Maresca. He also has excellent chemistry with Cole Palmer, his old friend and team-mate in England’s various youth age groups. That was best demonstrated by the high point of his Chelsea career: a 14-minute hat-trick against Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux last season.
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Madueke always carries himself as if he believes he is the best player on the pitch. At times, that ironclad self-belief is a real asset to his team, but not always.
Repeated attempts to take penalty duties marred his season under Pochettino, and most Chelsea supporters will have noticed that he rarely tries to hide his annoyance when substituted. Pochettino also publicly challenged Madueke to be better in training, while Maresca made what he referred to as a “technical decision” to drop him last season.
Chelsea are increasingly well stocked on the right flank. Pedro Neto has quickly blossomed into Maresca’s favoured starter on that side and the prodigiously talented Estevao will need room to grow. Tyrique George can also play on the right and Geovany Quenda is arriving from Sporting CP in the summer of 2026.
It is not hard to see why Chelsea might be prepared to let Madueke go, particularly since this week’s negotiated settlement with UEFA underlined the club’s need to sell as well as buy. But there is also a long-standing belief at Stamford Bridge that he has proven himself a better and more valuable player than he was two and a half years ago, so the price will be important.
 
(Francois Nel/Getty Images)

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