Chelsea’s summer transfer window once again made headlines, combining record spending with significant sales.
After finishing fourth in the Premier League last season, winning the Europa Conference League, and lifting the Club World Cup by beating PSG 3-0 in the summer final, the Blues are back in the Champions League for the first time since 2023.
psg-club-world-cup-chelsea
The club continued to invest heavily, bringing in João Pedro, Jamie Gittens, Alejandro Garnacho, Jorrel Hato, and Liam Delap, among others, for huge fees.
At the same time, Chelsea balanced the books by offloading players such as Christopher Nkunku, João Félix, and notably, Noni Madueke.
Under Enzo Maresca, Chelsea’s youthful squad has shown promise but also inconsistency.
Two wins against Fulham and West Ham have been tempered by draws with Crystal Palace and Brentford, a reflection of a side still searching for rhythm.
Their return to the Champions League offered a reality check about the demands of competing at Europe’s highest level. While Madueke thrived for Arsenal, a Blues winger struggled.
Noni Madueke: From Chelsea to Arsenal
Madueke was once seen as a cornerstone of Chelsea’s rebuild.
The 23-year-old right-winger scored 20 goals and registered nine assists in 92 appearances during his time at Stamford Bridge.
Madueke's record at Chelsea (timeless)
Explosive when on form, he could change games with pace, dribbling, and direct running.
However, his Chelsea career was defined as much by frustration as by highlights.
Chelsea-Madueke
The club decided to sell him to Arsenal for £52m this summer, a transfer that drew an immediate backlash from Gunners supporters.
More than 5,000 fans signed a petition under the hashtag #NoToMadueke, questioning the move.
Arsenal pressed ahead regardless, handing Madueke a full 90 minutes on his Champions League debut against Athletic Bilbao on Tuesday.
Statistically, Madueke has always been a player who offers high involvement in forward play.
Last season, he averaged 6.81 progressive carries per 90 minutes, a measure of how often he drives the ball upfield.
He also attempted a high volume of shots, posting 1.33 shots on target per 90 minutes with an accuracy rate of 37.5%.
These numbers highlight both his intent and his end product - a winger eager to make things happen, though not always efficient. One Chelsea winger is like that now.
Chelsea's new Noni Madueke
Chelsea’s 3-1 loss to Bayern Munich in their Champions League opener showed just how raw this youthful team remains.
Defensive errors - including Trevoh Chalobah’s own goal after Michael Olise’s cross and a clumsy Moises Caicedo foul that gifted Harry Kane a penalty - set the tone for a tough night.
In attack, Pedro Neto was handed the role of left-winger in Maresca’s 4-2-3-1.
It proved a difficult evening. Neto was replaced in the 68th minute after a performance that earned him a 5.8 match rating.
His individual numbers reflected the struggle:
Neto vs Bayern Munich
Touches
Accurate Passes
Crosses
Dribble Attempts
Grounds Duels
Possession Lost
Source: Sofascore
Neto’s inconsistency mirrored some of the very frustrations Chelsea fans once voiced about Madueke.
He can explode with pace and creativity, but also drift out of games, as he did in Munich.
neto-enzo
Across last season, Neto managed 35 matches with ten goal involvements - identical to Madueke’s tally in 32 appearances.
While Neto averaged fewer progressive carries (5.00 per 90) and shots on target (0.67 per 90 at a 28.8% accuracy), he outperformed Madueke in progressive passing distance, covering an average of 96 metres per 90 minutes compared to Madueke’s 82.0.
The data illustrate why Chelsea’s decision to sell Madueke and entrust Neto with a similar role has sparked debate.
Both wingers bring pace and unpredictability, both contribute to chance creation, and both are capable of flashes of brilliance. But the numbers confirm their limitations as well.
Madueke’s higher output in progressive carries and shots suggests a winger more inclined to take risks and force opportunities.
Neto, on the other hand, contributes more in ball progression through passing, reflected in his superior progressive passing distance.
Each offers something slightly different, yet neither has consistently delivered match-winning influence.
When comparing shot creation, the two players are virtually inseparable. Madueke averaged 3.50 shot-creating actions per 90, while Neto produced 3.57.
Noni Madueke for Chelsea
This parity shows that both are involved in their teams’ attacking buildup, even if their execution varies.
Madueke’s numbers underline why Arsenal were willing to pay a premium despite fan scepticism.
His willingness to carry the ball forward and threaten goalkeepers with regular attempts makes him a high-upside option.
Neto’s profile fits Chelsea’s philosophy under Maresca - linking play, stretching the pitch, and helping transition through midfield - but his display against Bayern revealed how much more is needed to reach Champions League standard.
For Chelsea, the swap of Madueke for Neto feels less like a fresh direction and more like a gamble on a winger with a strikingly similar profile: exciting, unpredictable, and still searching for the consistency required to define matches at the highest level.