After his break to rest from the Club World Cup,, Noni Madueke made his debut for **Arsenal**after his transfer from **Chelsea**in a defeat to Villarreal. He only got a quarter of an hour off the bench, but there will surely be much more to come from the winger. Indeed, he is set to become a starter sooner rather than later in the eyes of Saul Isaksson Hurst, who "sees him on the left" for the Gunners.
‘Noni gives you both assets’
Isaksson-Hurst crossed paths with Madueke when the winger was emerging in the Netherlands.
*“Noni came to me about four years ago when he was at PSV Eindhoven, wanted to do some extra work. So, what started off as an intense preseason program turned into more of a long-term relationship, doing sessions when and where we could and supporting him with some analyst feedback as well.”*
Since the start of their working relationship, he has seen the summer signing get much more mature.
“We've been working a lot on him being having balance on both sides. He's known as a Robben type player, likes to cut inside and now he's comfortable going both ways and beating players. Arsenal signed him is because he's so good in terms of his ball carrying his one v one and being able to beat players in those situations, he's really exciting player who just keeps on getting better and better.”
The coach is convinced Madueke will not only be a backup to star boy Bukayo Saka in the squad.
*“He's a first rate player. I see him on the left, maybe on the right when **Bukayo Saka*rotates.”
For a fee of up to £52 million, the Gunners almost certainly see the 23-year-old as a starter, or at least as a primary option off the bench. Indeed, he can create value in the final third on the left and right.
“Noni can play different positions. Thomas Tuchel likes him playing on the left, and he did that for England very successfully in the last games. I can't see him being going to Arsenal as being a backup for Saka. It's not realistic in terms of the sort of player Noni is and also the money they spent on him.”
Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard have traded minutes on the left flank for the last two and a half years, and their limitations have left fans wanting an elite option to take their place. Madueke might be perceived as a right winger, but he could be a better option than both of these starters.
“Martinelli is a good transition player and maybe not so good when teams are in a low block in terms of beating players. Trossard is really good 1 v 1, but not running beyond. Noni gives you both assets.”
Isaksson-Hurst highlighted what the fans at the Emirates Stadium should expect from the winger.
“Noni is an exciting player. He'll bring entertainment. He'll be flamboyant. When he gets the ball, he'll go and try and attack. He's not backward and going forward. He wants to play take players on. He wants to beat players, you know, he's got one of the highest shots ratios in his position. Lots of shots on target, a lot of trying to beat players. So, he's exciting player and he will create things.”
‘He just backs himself’
Isaksson-Hurst has the inside scoop on Madueke as a character. He believes that the 23-year-old has the right blend of talent and a diligent work ethic to take himself to the very top of the English game.
“He's always been one of the most talented young players in world football. That's why so many clubs wanted him, you know, that's why he broke through to the first team at PSV early on. For all players in that position, you're judged on your goals and your assists. So, we've been trying to improve that.”
To achieve that target, Madueke has given him no signs he is worried about moving across the capital.
*“He's really buzzing and excited for the challenge. He's already had that move to Chelsea, which is one of the biggest clubs in the world. It’s not going to faze him, but he's excited, ready, motivated.”*
Indeed, the winger was willing to leave England at the age of 16 to further his development in the Netherlands. Some supporters will question the wisdom of acquiring another castoff from Chelsea, but this doubt will drive the motivation of Madueke to make a success of this switch even further.
“He's so hungry for success. He's so hungry for the challenge. He backs himself. Do you know what I mean? So he has got no reservations about going into that top team already and making an impact.”
The Englishman has been at the centre of a couple of incidents that have created concern about his maturity. In August 2024, he put out a post on Instagram with some damning words about the city of Wolverhampton before he scored a hat trick against Wolverhampton Wanderers in a 6-2 win to calm down the critics.
That was an avoidable gaffe, but it was an incident that indicated he can back his chat if needed.
“It's not overconfidence, not an ego thing. He just backs himself. And the key thing as well, which is he's a great role model for all young players, all players generally, is that, he works hard. He understands I want to be the best. It's not like, oh, I'm the best, I'm here, I'm already there.”
He is hungry to get better, and will want much more than the 7 goals and 3 assists of last season.
“I think he's happy because there was an improvement, but that wasn't a target which we set. So, he wants to get more. He was out for a little bit with an injury. Also, the team were not having a great time. He always wants to get better every season, but we're looking for more next year.”
His ambition means he is taking inspiration from the most prolific figures in the Premier League.
“I think that you have got to be if you're serious about being a top Premier League player, you got to aspire to be the best or one of the best. If you look at the last few years, Mo Salah definitely has been that in terms of his numbers, like we say, goals and assists. I think it's good to look at those players.”