The four Arsenal transfers Mikel Arteta must complete after Noni Madueke move

It would be fair to say that the news Arsenal are understood to be attempting to sign Noni Madueke, with football.london aware of an agreement on personal terms, has rocked the hornet’s nest. Madueke’s time with Chelsea would not be described as an overwhelming success.

Add to that the fact he represents yet another Blues player joining the club and Arsenal fans are starting to go full conspiracy theory. So, what, therefore, is behind this move, and how will it make sense?

Well, for years now Arsenal have never had a reasonable back-up to Bukayo Saka. Since the youngster stole the role away from Nicolas Pepe, he has played non-stop pretty much until the major hamstring injury suffered last season.

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Ethan Nwaneri was mainly used in the role, but this immediate and rushed step up in regular game time also led to the youngster suffering a hamstring problem in January. Add to that the 18-year-old is seen by the club as an eight or ten over a winger, and the player is believed to do so too, and then in the future, Nwaneri’s role does not necessarily factor in.

As reported by David Ornstein, Arsenal were keen on a move for Bryan Mbeumo but the player has been keen on the switch to Manchester United knowing he would be a guaranteed starter whereas that would not be the case in north London. This is the problem that Arsenal have suffered with, being unable to find suitable cover for Saka.

Madueke is clearly seen as the solution andthe irony that he happens to be a Chelsea player does muddy the waters behind the context of such a deal. That said, considering what else Arsenal need in this window, if the Gunners end up failing to land a marquee winger for the left flank, or the Eberechi Eze deal does not progress instead, that would be something to be critical of.

The striker is a player that despite the time it is taking to pursue, is still a profile expected to be sorted come the close of the window, hopefully much sooner. But the opportunity which a player like Rodrygo represents being scuppered by a signing like Madueke would leave fans rightly in a state of puzzlement.

In a world where Arsenal land their centre-forward, Eze and Rodrygo, adding Madueke while letting one of their current left wingers, Leandro Trossard or Gabriel Martinelli, go would represent a smart evolution of the forward options. The worry is, as above, Rodrygo becomes Madueke with no extra signing and both existing players staying.

Then there are reports fromSam Dean of the Telegraph who details that Chelsea are expecting upwards of £50million for the winger. In this case, I struggle to justify an investment at this level for the England international.

Arsenal fans, with respect, have a habit of jumping to conclusions and getting irate at the moment. This summer is all going to be about how Arsenal look when the market closes, and until then, reserving judgment and even anger is vital to avoid perhaps looking somewhat silly come September.