Arsenal’s decision to splash £52million on Noni Madueke has raised eyebrows across the Premier League, and Paul Merson is among those struggling to make sense of it.
The Chelsea winger is expected to complete his move to the Emirates shortly, but former Arsenal midfielder Merson believes the deal creates more questions than answers, especially with Bukayo Saka still firmly in place as the club’s right-sided starter. He isn’t alone, as Arsenal fans were criticsed their reaction to Madueke.
Madueke is primarily a right winger who thrives on cutting inside and shooting, a profile that mirrors Saka’s. Merson, in his latest column for Sky Sports, questioned both the price tag and the logic behind the transfer.
“I am flabbergasted by Arsenal signing of Noni Madueke. I’m shocked. If Arsenal went and bought any player from Chelsea, he’d have been the last one I thought they’d sign.
“I just don’t see it. It’s a lot of money for a player who is not a prolific goalscorer. He’s the sort of player that has a good game here and a good game there, but that’ll be it. The consistency of performance isn’t there.
“I hope he proves me wrong, but he’ll have the good games, just like he did for England last month. But then you won’t see him for a few weeks.
“What I don’t get is that Madueke’s best position is playing on the right, cutting inside and getting shots away. Who does that for Arsenal? Bukayo Saka. And he’s not coming out of the Arsenal starting XI.”
Merson went further, hinting at the possibility that Arsenal could be preparing for life without Saka. The England star has been a constant under Mikel Arteta and has rarely been rested, but Merson suggested that the deal may be about more than depth.
“Call me a cynic, but is there another reason why they are doing this deal? Are there concerns about the future of Saka?
“The one player at Arsenal who has to play every week is Saka. When he doesn’t play, they are not the same team.”
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It’s a provocative claim, but not without wider context. Arsenal now have a crowded group of wide options that includes Gabriel Martinelli, Leandro Trossard, Reiss Nelson, and rising talent Ethan Nwaneri. Madueke adds further competition on the right, and there’s already talk of at least one winger leaving before the window closes.
Trossard has been linked with a move away to Bayern Munich and Fenerbache, while Nelson’s future is unclear after returning from a loan spell at Fulham. Both may be squeezed out if Madueke arrives as expected.
The former Arsenal man also thinks the money would have been better spent on Eberechi Eze, who may be a better tactical fit for Arteta’s needs.
“If you asked me whether Arsenal should sign Eberechi Eze or Madueke, I’d have said Eze all day long. Now that’s a deal I can see happening and it would be a brilliant signing for Arsenal. He’s perfect.
“Arsenal struggle when teams come to the Emirates and put everyone behind the ball. Teams want to limit the space Arsenal have to play in and they have struggled to break teams down with those tactics.
“For me, that’s where Eze comes in. He’s got the X-factor and the ability to break a low block down.”