The Blues stand to make a big profit on the wantaway winger despite the indifferent nature of his spell at Stamford Bridge
We have been waiting some time to witness Chelsea's bewildering new transfer strategy yield some semblance of success, but, all of a sudden, it has started to bear fruit. Fresh from their incredibly young squad claiming a second trophy in as many months, the Blues are set to make a cool profit on one of their expendable wantaways.
Noni Madueke is set to complete a costly £52 million ($70m) transfer across the English capital to fierce rivals Arsenal, and the imminent deal means Chelsea stand to gain more than £20m ($27m) – despite the winger largely flattering to deceive since arriving from PSV for £30.5m ($41m) in January 2023.
This is the new master plan in action, and with tangible success finally being delivered on the pitch, the club's hierarchy will believe that their often baffling approach to the transfer market is now paying off…
Getty Images SportBig profit for limited return
The truth is that few Chelsea fans will bat an eyelid at the news of Madueke's imminent departure. It will irk some that he is joining a fierce London rival, but the reality is that he has been far too inconsistent for anyone to quibble with the incoming fee.
Since joining just two-and-a-half years ago, the winger has demonstrated his potential in fits and spurts, but a return of 20 goals and nine assists in 90 appearances has clearly not been enough to convince the club that they should turn down more than £20m in profit.
Madueke only really became a regular starter in the second half of last season, with his lack of end product and perceived selfishness in the final third often drawing the ire of Chelsea supporters, with his best performance undoubtedly arriving in the form of a hat-trick against Wolves way back in August last year.
Arsenal fans don't have a reputation for being the most reasonable, but even so, it speaks volumes that the hashtag '#NoToMadueke' has trended on social media in the lead-up to the transfer being completed, while others have raged against head coach Mikel Arteta.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportIndiscipline
While Maresca has largely managed to keep a young, ego-packed squad in check, it's apparent that Madueke's discipline has been an issue behind the scenes, with that contributing significantly to their decision to sell.
Under Mauricio Pochettino in 2023-24, he was at the centre of an ugly incident after Chelsea were awarded a penalty against Everton, where both he and Nicolas Jackson furiously tried to wrestle the ball away from regular taker Cole Palmer.
Then, in a now-infamous modern faux pas on the eve of that hat-trick against Wolves last season, Madueke accidentally posted publicly on his Instagram that Wolverhampton was "a sh*t place".
In December 2024, Maresca dropped the wide man for a game against Aston Villa. The Italian said at the time: "Noni can do much more. He can do much more. The moment he starts to score or assist and is happy, he starts to drop a little bit and the reason why he was not playing is because I do not like the way he trained. He can be much, much, much better."
Later that month, Madueke was left out of the matchday squad altogether for the defeat to Fulham, with Maresca citing a "technical decision". He would eventually regain his place as a regular starter, but evidently never quite did enough to make himself untouchable in his manager's eyes and those above him.
Getty Images Sport'Nobody told Noni to leave'
It emerged in early June that Madueke was unexpectedly among a host of players that Chelsea were open to cashing in on this summer, with the feeling behind closed doors that his 'development had stalled', and there soon proved to be no smoke without fire as links to Arsenal gathered steam.
With the rest of the squad largely settled, disregarding the raft of loanees and outcasts separated from the first team, this was also a rare instance of a core member actually wanting to leave.
Effectively confirming the winger's imminent move across the capital, Maresca said recently: "Noni is in contact with the new club. I guess he is going to be announced in the next hours.
"I said in one of the last press conferences, if players want to leave then it is difficult for the club and the manager. Noni decided to leave, nobody told Noni he had to leave. If he is happy, we are happy."
(C)Getty ImagesThe Chelsea model
This is a deal, then, that clearly made financial, sporting and disciplinary sense for Chelsea, and it is perhaps one of the first signs that a previously baffling transfer strategy… might actually be working?!
In recent years, Chelsea have moved away from the Roman Abramovich-era policy of spending on big, established names, instead stockpiling some of the finest young talent around as they look to future-proof their squad, resulting in the youngest squad in the Premier League.
Of course, finances are also a significant motivation, with the wage bill slashed and the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) swerved by amortised contracts stretched over unconventionally long periods (like eight years, in some cases) as the club spreads the costs.
Flipping unwanted players for a profit is another key aspect of the strategy, which is reflected in the readiness to let go of Madueke – a player who is not indispensable, whose progress the club clearly believes has slowed – and pocket more than £20m. An amortised contract that still has five years left to run also gave them a strong negotiating position.
Undeniably, there is the possibility that Madueke will explode at the Emirates Stadium and this decision will backfire horribly, but that is a calculated risk Chelsea are willing to take.
