Noni Madueke EXCLUSIVE
In one of the most important transfer windows in Mikel Arteta’s tenure, the pursuit of Chelsea’s £55million-rated Noni Madueke has divided the Arsenal fanbase.
So much so that since the news of the Gunners’ formal approach, over 1,000 Arsenal supporters so far have signed a petition urging the club not to sign him.
But the numbers show that there is method behind the supposed madness, with Arteta targeting a player who may well give his squad something they have been missing during three successive second-place Prem finishes.
As well as a world class No.9 – with Viktor Gyokeres’ arrival in the works – the Gunners have been in desperate need of competition in the wide areas alongside the likes of Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard.
It is why Raheem Sterling was brought in on a last-ditch Deadline Day loan last summer, and highlighted further during Saka’s three month absence last term following hamstring surgery.
Athletic Bilbao’s Nico Williams and Real Madrid’s Rodrygo have been monitored during this window, only for negotiations to break down over the past few weeks, while Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze – with a £68m release clause – and Atalanta’s Ademola Lookman remain ongoing targets.
So, it begs the question: Why does Arteta want him?
The answer appears to lie in the England international’s bravery on the ball from wide positions, something Arsenal struggled with last year, especially on the left through Martinelli and Trossard.
Having netted 91 Prem goals in 2023/24, they scored 22 fewer last term.
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