Is Noni Marduk worth the price? Arsenal is close to signing another Chelsea player

A possible transfer deal could cause more disagreements this summer than before, which could be related to another deal between Chelsea and Arsenal.

In recent years, Arsenal have brought in many well-known players from their West London opponents, including goalkeeper Kepa Arezavaraga, who has been introduced this summer, and Mikel Arteta's side is now close to reaching a deal to bring in Blues winger Noni Maduk. According to The Athletic, the winger has reached personal terms with Arsenal, and transfer reporter Fabricio Romano suggested that Arsenal have submitted preliminary offers to Chelsea for players’ bags worth about €60 million, including additional terms.

At first glance, this transaction is quite difficult to understand. Marduk played 92 games for Chelsea, 83 of which were playing as the right winger. In his seven games as a left winger at the club last season, none of them scored goals or assists. In Arsenal, this is Bukayo Saka's position. He is one of the best players in Arsenal and if in good condition the English player will play most of the games. So, spending €60 million to bring in a player who will get limited game time seems like a bold strategy.

However, some suggest that Maduk was introduced to cover both sides. Give Gabriel Martinelli the left contender and replace Sacca’s right position. If that's true, that could rule out Arsenal's signing in another left winger, such as Real Madrid's Rodrigo. But whether Marduk's performance in the Premier League is worth the expense, no matter where he ends up playing football.

Noni Maduec's mediocre time at Chelsea

Marduke joined Chelsea from PSV in January 2023 for 35 million euros. In the Netherlands, he scored 20 goals and sent 13 assists in 80 games. After transferring to Stamford Bridge, Marduk showed off his elite talent and performed well in certain games, such as a hat-trick against Wolves in the second round last season. Overall, however, his performance is quite volatile. Since joining Chelsea, Marduk has only started 47 of its possible 95 Premier League games. During that time, he contributed only 20 goals (13 goals and 7 assists).

During the same time period, these data indicate that Madueke ranks 30th among all Premier League wingers in terms of goals and assists. Of all positions, he ranks 74th. These figures are hardly possible to think that Arsenal paid nearly twice as much as Chelsea paid to PSV two years ago. However, during this time, he has made seven appearances for the England National Team and seems to have been praised by new England coach Thomas Tuchel. It should also be remembered that some of Arsenal’s signings, such as David Raya and even Martin Odgau, have been questioned but have all turned out to be a wise deal in the end.

Another potential problem is attitude. While it is difficult to really understand a player’s attitude from outside the club’s circle, there are certain events that make people worry. For example, in the 2023/24 season, he tried to grab a penalty from regular penalty shooter Cole Palmer and clashed with his teammates, which was not good to the outside world. Last December, head coach Enzo Maresca also removed Marduk from the roster against Aston Villa and explained the reason: "The reason he doesn't play is that I don't like his training style. He has to understand that he has to train hard every day, and Noni has to understand that he has to work harder." This attitude will certainly not be accepted by Arteta, who is strictly demanding.

Marduk is reportedly eager to move to Arsenal, but if he finds himself on the bench most of his time, one might question whether Marduk is the kind of character that can accept the situation and work hard to get back on the team. Arteta has achieved many positive results in improving the club culture. Some new standards were set on the training ground. Arsenal even fired club captain Pierre Emerick Aubameyang because of attitude issues.

Another obstacle to this potential transfer may be its impact on teenage genius Ethan Owanli. While most people expect him to end up in the middle more, being a backup on Saka's right wing will also provide the young player with more playing time, which could be sabotaged by a potential Maduk transfer. The 23-year-old Chelsea winger is undoubtedly a very talented player who will add more depth and competition to Arsenal, but there are many other issues in the squad that need to be addressed, so it is understandable to raise some questions about this potential signing. If the deal is reached, both Maduk and Arteta will hope to prove many people’s mistakes.