Arsenal winger Noni Madueke has made clear there is no bad blood with former club Chelsea as he now prepares to face the Blues for the first time since leaving during the summer.
Madueke joined Arsenal in a deal worth up to £52 million ($68.8 million) in July, bringing a swift end to his time at Stamford Bridge only two-and-a-half years into a seven-year contract that ran until 2030. It had been apparent for a few months that Chelsea were willing to cash in and sell Madueke for a profit, having spent £28.5 million to sign him in January 2023.
That kind of approach fits the club’s recruitment strategy down to the ground, treating every transfer as a business transaction, leaving Madueke to consider his options and agree terms with Arsenal.
The England international has had his early months at the club disrupted by a knee injury, but he marked Wednesday’s statement Champions League win over Bayern Munich with a maiden Gunners goal. After eyebrows were raised at the transfer fee, it goes some way to answering his critics.
“[Proving doubters wrong] was a little factor, for sure,” he told TNT Sports postgame, asked if the negativity had made him more determined to succeed with Arsenal.
“I’m a confident player so I don’t really like anyone telling me that I can’t do something. But it’s my teammates and the staff, how they’ve taken to me and the belief they have in me [which is] the real reason I want to do my thing and give back, play really well and help us win trophies.”
There was a glimmer of a knowing smile on Madueke’s face when he referenced “another big one” coming up on Sunday against Chelsea, perhaps determined to make a point against the team that was willing to let him go. But his words suggested he isn’t holding onto a grudge, at least.
“We will have to wait and see, it’s first vs. second, but they are a top team, we have a top team, so it will be a good game, God willing, we get the result we want,” Madueke said.
Madueke Gives Arsenal a ‘Different Edge’
Madueke didn’t start against Bayern, having only got his first minutes since recovering from injury as a substitute in the victorious north London derby. But when Leandro Trossard was forced off in the first half, the 23-year-old wound up playing more than half the game.
Mikel Arteta, who put his faith in Madueke after decent but not outstanding numbers at Chelsea, was delighted to see the player’s impact.
“He’s worked incredibly hard to come back,” Arteta told reporters. “I think he was in a great moment before he got the injuries. He’s one of the players who was performing at the highest level and now we’ve got him back.
“He played on the left, he played on the right. He gave us something as a different edge in that front line. I’m very pleased to see him and hopefully many more to come.”
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Noni Madueke Sends Message to Chelsea Ahead of First Reunion With Blues.
