Who Benefits from Madueke's Transfer, Arsenal or Chelsea?

Typically, the arrival of new players is always welcomed with enthusiasm from supporters. However, an anomaly occurred at Arsenal regarding the rumors of the purchase of Chelsea winger Noni Madueke. The transfer is considered less useful, too expensive, and misdirected.

Arsenal fans are divided, with the majority expressing disapproval. The negative response towards Madueke is clearly visible in the online sphere. The hashtag #NoToMadueke has been trending on social media platform X. An online petition as a form of rejection has also been created and has garnered over 4,000 signatures.

Nevertheless, Arsenal's desire seems unstoppable. According to transfer specialist journalist Fabrizio Romano, Arsenal has agreed to purchase Madueke from Chelsea for a total fee of 52 million pounds or Rp 1.14 trillion on Friday (11/7/2025 WIB).

The transfer fee is quite substantial. Madueke immediately becomes the sixth most expensive purchase in Arsenal's history. This is also what concerns the fans the most. Many believe that such a large amount of money is unnecessary just to bring in a backup for Bukayo Saka.

The domino effect is feared to occur. Players rumored to be joining Arsenal, such as Rodrygo and Eberechi Eze, are at risk of not coming. Moreover, Arsenal's experience has often been less than favorable when acquiring players from Chelsea. The most recent case was Raheem Sterling, who was on loan last season.

Behind the pros and cons of fan perspectives, Arsenal has strong reasons for bringing in the England national team player. Manager Mikel Arteta needs him for tactical variation and squad rotation. Madueke is the most ideal and realistic choice.

Of all the positions, Arsenal has only a few gaps for backup roles. One of these is in the right winger position. Saka is the only player who is purely in that position. Arteta has also become heavily reliant on Saka since the 2021 season.

For three consecutive seasons, from 2021 to 2024, Saka has always been a starter in at least 35 matches each season. A similar situation could have occurred last season, but Saka suffered a thigh muscle injury. He had to be sidelined for three months. "The Gunners" struggled significantly without their star player.

Eighteen-year-old midfielder from the academy, Ethan Nwaneri, was given an emergency assignment as a replacement for Saka. He performed quite well in filling that gap. However, Arsenal's right-wing attack became less sharp because Nwaneri is more accustomed to the attacking midfielder position.

Advantages of Madueke

The production of goals from open play was Arsenal's biggest shortcoming last season. They were heavily reliant on set pieces. There were not many players who could make a difference when facing an opponent's "bus parking" strategy. They need players who can create opportunities.

As a highly direct winger, Madueke can fill this role. His goal is always to score goals whenever possible. It's no wonder Madueke averaged 3.54 shots per 90 minutes. According to FBref, that's the highest number among Premier League wingers last season.

From his courage to try, opportunities are created. Madueke's shot volume is directly proportional to his chance value, which reaches 9.6 xG, or expected goals. By comparison, no Arsenal player exceeds that xG value.

In addition to instinct, Madueke's main strength lies in his dribbling ability. When the ball is at his feet, it almost always advances closer to the opponent's defense. This is reflected in the statistics of progressive dribbles or successful dribbles that advance the ball by at least 9.1 meters (10 yards).

Madueke recorded the second most progressive dribbles in the league last season, with 154, equal to Liverpool superstar Mohamed Salah. Interestingly, 60.3 percent of those progressive dribbles ended in the opponent's penalty area. This demonstrates the sharpness of the player's movements.

Liverpool manager Arne Slot even expressed his admiration for Madueke's dribbling during the defeat to Chelsea in May 2025. "I think Madueke is the only one who can dribble straight away among our four or five players. I've never seen that before," he told BBC Sport.

Saka and Madueke are both left-footed players skilled in dribbling. The difference is that Madueke offers more movement towards the outside. He often maximizes his weaker foot or right foot with that movement. Saka tends to move more frequently towards the inside.

That is the main reason why Madueke is needed. He can not only serve as a backup but also as a competitor for Saka. Madueke was one of Chelsea's key stars last season. His immense potential became even more evident after making his debut with the England national team in September 2024.

From a pricing perspective, Madueke is actually not too expensive when considering the competition for wingers in this transfer window. Anthony Elanga, for example. The Nottingham Forest player was purchased for 55 million pounds by Newcastle United.

The prospects for Madueke with the status of a "Three Lions" player are certainly more promising. He can also play in two wing positions with equal proficiency. All this potential is supported by the player, who is 23 years old. He still has the capacity to improve significantly in the coming seasons.

However, there are several points that warrant special attention for Madueke. Motivation is one of the primary concerns for Chelsea's coach Enzo Maresca. "Noni is one of our best players. However, sometimes he tends to decline a bit after scoring a goal or providing an assist," he stated last January.

Madueke must demonstrate consistency both on and off the field if he wishes to compete with Saka. He is not the primary option on the right wing for Arsenal, unlike at Chelsea. His end product also needs improvement. Madueke only contributed seven goals and three assists in the league last season.

On the other hand, Chelsea will lose a forward who appeared in 32 out of 38 league matches last season. However, they are not overly concerned as there are new players who can fill that gap, such as Jamie Gittens and Estevao.

Chelsea are also under pressure to comply with UEFA's financial regulations. According to The Times, the Blues must raise around £60 million from sales to register players for next season. Madueke's sale would help the club out of this predicament.

So, who benefits more from the transfer of Madueke? That question seems too premature to answer. Everything will become clearer in one or two seasons to come. The most important thing is that both Arsenal and Chelsea have found solutions to their short-term problems. (AP/REUTERS)