Mikel Arteta has finally got his way after Arsenal sealed the £52million signing of Noni Madueke from Chelsea.
The Blues’ bloated squad and willingness to listen to offers for the 23-year-old implied that the Gunners were simply taking advantage of a market opportunity by pouncing for the England international.
In reality, however, Arteta has been a long-standing admirer of the former PSV Eindhoven winger who completed his switch from west to north London on Friday.
According to The Athletic, Arteta had pushed for his club to sign Madueke in previous transfer windows but had been met with reservations from Andrea Berta’s predecessor, Edu, as well as his scouting department.
Arsenal’s need for a versatile winger capable of playing on the left and providing a high-class back-up for Bukayo Saka on the right led Arteta to push again to sign a player he has huge faith in.
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‘We’re all so happy to welcome Noni Madueke to the team,’ said the Arsenal manager at his new signing’s unveiling.
‘Noni is an exciting and powerful young player, with his performances and numbers in recent seasons being of consistently high quality. He is one of the most talented wide forward players in the Premier League.
Are Arsenal’s new signings enough to win the league?
You certainly can’t accuse Arsenal of being inactive in the window this summer, but whether the new signings and potential new recruits will be enough to power the Gunners to the title remains to be seen.
The naysayers will point to Liverpool’s already impressive summer, which has seen Arne Slot add two top class full-backs and smash the British transfer record to snare Florian Wirtz.
Building from a position of strength, the best are getting even better, even without the arrival of a new centre forward, an issue that looks likely to be addressed imminently.
Arsenal, however, can only look after themselves and while it might have been tempting to enter the race to sign Alexander Isak, plugging the gaping holes in their squad, exposed by last season’s injury crisis, represents a far smarter use of the considerable funds that have again been made available to Mikel Arteta.
Of the new additions, Martin Zubimendi’s is perhaps the most intriguing. Will the addition of a genuine deep-lying playmaker, one in the prime of his career, prompt a more expansive style of play?
If the Spaniard’s addition shifts Arsenal back towards a side somewhere between the buccaneering nearly-men of two years ago and the overcautious, safety first unit that lost their way last term then there is no reason to suggest they cannot last the distance.
The rest of the signings represent gambles, while even Eberechi Eze and Rodrygo, although level raisers, would come with no guarantees given it is not clear where the Crystal Palace playmaker would fit in, while there have been plenty of Real Madrid cast offs who have failed to shine in the Premier League.
That said, this is a top class Arsenal side whose consistency over the last three years is often overlooked as a consequence of their lack of silverware. The new signings may only need to contribute the extra 10% required to get the Gunners over the line given the quality that Arteta already has at his disposal.
If you’re looking for a positive omen, cast your minds back to the summer of 2001 when Arsenal brought in Richard Wright, Francis Jeffers, Giovanni van Bronckhorst and Sol Campbell at significant cost, while Edu was effectively a new signing given he hardly played following his arrival in January.
Of that group, only Campbell could have been considered a genuine game changer, but that group all made valuable contributions across a campaign which saw Arsenal end a run of three second place finishes to complete a Premier League and FA Cup double under Arsene Wenger.
James Goldman | Metro Sports Editor.
‘At just 23, Noni already brings experience of club and international football, and he knows the Premier League very well.
‘Having seen the quality of Noni’s performances up close in recent seasons, we’re really excited he is joining us.
‘Noni joins our group with familiar England teammates and other players he knows. He will be made to feel at home straight away.
‘His arrival will really improve our squad – we’re all thrilled to have him here. From all of us, welcome Noni and welcome to your family.’
Madueke’s fitness record and durability were key considerations for the Arsenal boss, whose new wide man will get the chance to make an immediate impression on the club’s upcoming pre-season tour.
Background checks were made on a player who endured some difficult moments during a turbulent period at Stamford Bridge, but Arteta received glowing reports from Arsenal’s contingent of England internationals about the attitude of a player determined to succeed at the Emirates.
It is fair to say the response amongst Arsenal fans to Madueke’s arrival has been skeptical, but Arsenal’s latest new arrival is determined to prove his doubters wrong.
He said: ‘I’ve spoken to Dec, Myles, Bukayo, even Jurrien as well and they all say amazing things about the club and the culture here, how warm it is and how much of a family it is. I’m really happy to be a part of the Arsenal family now.
‘I’m very happy, very excited to get to work. I’ll go on holiday for a little bit now, but I can’t wait to get back and meet all the boys and train.
‘I was saying it to all my friends walking around here, you don’t even want to take the rest. I know I have to for my body and stuff to heal, but when I come back, I’ll be raring to go.’