Arsenal are reportedly pressing ahead with plans to sign Chelsea winger Noni Madueke and are now 'advancing' on talks with the Englishman over personal terms.
The Gunners have been pursuing a new wide man as a matter of priority this summer, but they have experienced frustration in their search for a handful of top targets so far.
The door had seemingly reopened for Arsenal to make a move for Athletic Bilbao's Nico Williams when his Barcelona move stalled over registration issues, but the Spaniard then stunned the footballing world by signing a 10-year contract extension with the Basque side.
The Gunners have also made little headway in their pursuits of Real Madrid's Rodrygo or AC Milan's Rafael Leao, but Madueke has emerged as a potentially viable option in recent days.
The 23-year-old was again overlooked for a starting place in Friday's 2-1 Club World Cup quarter-final victory over Palmeiras, having been an unused substitute in the 4-1 last-16 success over Benfica the previous weekend.
Madueke 'open' to Arsenal move as talks 'advance'
Chelsea's Noni Madueke celebrates scoring on January 25, 2025
Now, journalist Fabrizio Romano claims that Arsenal are 'advancing' in discussions with the representatives of Madueke, who is supposedly open to making the move to the Emirates Stadium.
The former PSV Eindhoven and Tottenham Hotspur product still has five years left to run on his Chelsea deal, but it has been claimed that a fee of £50m may be enough for the Blues to consider a sale this summer.
While Madueke would apparently welcome the chance to join Arsenal, he is not giving too much thought to a move during the Club World Cup, and there is no agreement in place between the clubs either.
The Blues will take on Brazilian giants Fluminense in the semi-finals of the competition on Tuesday night, where victory will earn them a final date with one of Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain or Bayern Munich.
Madueke has produced 20 goals and nine assists from 91 matches in a Chelsea kit since joining the club in January 2023, including 11 strikes and five helpers from 45 matches in the 2024-25 campaign.
Maresca gives Madueke future update amid Arsenal talk
Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca pictured on June 28, 2025
Blues boss Maresca had previously shot down talk of Madueke leaving the club this summer, and he talked up the winger's importance to the squad following the win over Palmeiras.
However, he also stressed that any players unhappy at Stamford Bridge can look for opportunities elsewhere, telling the media: "Noni has been very important for us during this season. Today, again, he has been important.
"But my message to the players and to the club is that I want just players that are happy to be with us. The ones that are not happy, they are free to go.
"It's not for Noni, it's for all the players we have. But again, Noni has been very good during the season and very good tonight."
Arsenal have already signed £5m goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga from Chelsea this summer, while David Luiz, Jorginho, Kai Havertz, Petr Cech and Raheem Sterling have also made the switch from the Blues to the Gunners in the previous decade.
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