Noni Madueke Opens Up About His Arsenal Future and What Mikel Arteta Has Planned for Him
Arsenal's most recent signing may have already provided clues about how boss Mikel Arteta intends to deploy him at the Emirates.
The North London club completed the acquisition of Noni Madueke on Friday, joining Martin Zubimendi, Christian Nørgaard and Kepa Arrizabalaga as summer arrivals. The 23-year-old joins as an attacking wide player following a deal worth an initial £48.5 million ($65.5 million) agreed between Arsenal and London rivals Chelsea.
The signing has split opinion among Arsenal supporters online. Concerns have been voiced regarding the transfer fee and whether this addresses the team's needs. The Gunners arguably require a left-wing option as much as they need a central striker. Madueke primarily operated from the right flank at Chelsea, but Arsenal already have Bukayo Saka in that position and the newcomer won't be displacing him immediately.
The England star undoubtedly provides improved squad depth, backup and potential across wide positions, but Madueke may have already indicated where Arteta intends to utilize him and the reasoning behind Arsenal's pursuit.
"I aim to be a versatile threat from both flanks. Naturally, there are slight differences when operating on the left versus the right, but the position doesn't concern me greatly. I maintain one focus when receiving the ball at my feet or finding space - to isolate the fullback and beat him, which is certainly among my key attributes," Madueke explained in his inaugural Arsenal interview.
Madueke featured on the left wing for Chelsea on nine occasions throughout 92 total matches across all competitions, compared to merely two appearances there during his PSV Eindhoven spell. Even in the Dutch league, he predominantly appeared on the right side.
Arsenal have been connected with Real Madrid's Rodrygo as a left-wing solution given the Brazilian's reported frustration with positional changes and limited playing time during the FIFA Club World Cup. However, considering Madueke's confidence in his versatility, he's expected to feature on the left given questions surrounding both Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard.
Irrespective of his position, the club emphasized an impressive statistic in their announcement that should enthuse supporters. Madueke recorded more ball carries resulting in shots than any Premier League player throughout the 2024–25 season. Just three players posted superior non-penalty xG (expected goals) figures and he managed 3.5 attempts per match.
The Gunners lacked cutting edge in the final third throughout the previous campaign, consistently overplaying around penalty areas. While Madueke's xG didn't translate into substantial goal returns, Arsenal generate numerous chances per game and require a direct winger beyond Saka who's willing to take on defenders.
Whether deployed on the left or right flank, it appears Arsenal have secured exactly that type of player.