Former Chelsea player Paul Parker has questioned why Noni Madueke is interested in joining Arsenal.
Reports suggest that the 23-year-old has already agreed personal terms with the Gunners, but speaking to Gameshub, Parker said that Madueke won’t get game time in his favoured position on the right wing:
“If Noni Madueke goes to Arsenal, he won’t be a regular starter. Arsenal have made Bukayo Saka their superstar; he’s the first name on the team sheet and Mikel Arteta can’t drop him.”
“I was surprised to hear the news that Arsenal are looking to sign Madueke. I’ve been scratching my head trying to work out where he’ll play. He wants to cut in from the right and move the ball onto his left. Saka does exactly the same; there’s almost no difference between the two.”
Chelsea have set their price tag for Madueke
While Arsenal may have agreed a salary with the England international, the Gunners have yet to enter formal talks with the Blues to agree a transfer fee.
Most Read on Chelsea News
It is believed that Madueke’s asking price is in excess of £50m. Chelsea are expected to cite the figure that Newcastle are paying for Nottingham Forest’s Anthony Elanga to justify their valuation. The winger is expected to complete a £55m move to St James’ Park over the coming days.
What has Maresca said about the player’s future?
Speaking in his press conference before the Club World Cup semi-final tie against Fluminense, head coach Enzo Maresca said he is happy with Madueke’s attitude and work ethic:
“Personally, I think it’s the same noise as before the Palmeiras game but we gave him half an hour and he was very good, so I don’t have any doubts that if we need Noni. He’s going to help us.”
“At the same time, I can understand that, as a human being, when there are many noises around you, it’s not easy to deal with that, but hopefully, he can deal with that.”
In other news, trusted journalist David Ornstein has been speaking about Chelsea’s interest in an Arsenal player