Chelsea’s Noni Madueke given permission to undergo Arsenal medical – The Athletic – The New York Times

EPL
Noni Madueke has been given permission by Chelsea to undergo a medical with Arsenal.
The England international, 23, will not train with Chelsea in the United States on Friday and instead travel back to the UK.
An agreement has been reached on an initial fee of £48.5million ($65.5m) deal while personal terms were previously agreed on a five-year contract.
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Madueke is set to become the second player to move from Chelsea to Arsenal this summer after goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga made the move across the capital for £5m. Raheem Sterling, Jorginho, Kai Havertz and Willian also all moved from Stamford Bridge to north London during manager Mikel Arteta’s tenure.
After joining Chelsea from Dutch side PSV Eindhoven in 2023 in a deal worth €33m, Madueke made 92 appearances for the west London club, scoring 20 goals and providing nine assists. He appeared in five of Chelsea’s Club World Cup games in the U.S., where Enzo Maresca’s side have reached the tournament’s final.
Madueke began his career in the academies of Crystal Palace and Tottenham Hotspur before moving to PSV as a 16-year-old in 2018. Initially appearing for the club’s reserve side, he made his senior debut in January 2020 and went on to become an established part of the team the following season. He made 80 appearances for the club, recording 20 goals and 13 assists.
The England international is Arsenal’s fourth signing of the summer after the arrivals of Arrizabalaga, Martin Zubimendi from Real Sociedad and Christian Norgaard from Brentford.
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.
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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.
(Francois Nel/Getty Images)
David Ornstein joined The Athletic in October 2019 after 12 years as a sports journalist and correspondent at the BBC. In the role of Football Correspondent, he is responsible for producing exclusive and original stories and interviews, offering unique insight and analysis. He works across video, audio and the written word. Follow David on Twitter @David_Ornstein

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