Bukayo Saka's position in the Arsenal squad is almost irreplaceable. Saka is one of the best wingers in the world and Arsenal will be much worse off if he is not on the field.
Therefore, if the information that Noni Madueke has agreed to personal terms with Arsenal is true, it is understandable that the Chelsea player wants to play any role at the Emirates.
Madueke played 84% of his Premier League minutes for Chelsea last season as a right winger. This is Saka's role at Arsenal. With a reported price of £50 million, he will be a valuable replacement for Saka on the right wing. However, that is certainly not the only reason why Arsenal signed Madueke.
A few years ago, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta challenged Saka to play every game.
"Look at the top players in the world. They played 70 games, played three days a game and made a difference, won the game. You want to be at the top, you have to be able to do that," Arteta said in October 2022 when asked about the concern Saka has been playing too much.
Any concerns about Arsenal's dependence on their star player have not gone away since then. This only got worse last season when Saka sluggishly left the pitch against Crystal Palace in December and then took a three-month break due to a hamstring injury. Without a suitable replacement, Arsenal have suffered a lot when Saka is absent.
However, according to Madueke, leaving Chelsea - where he started 27 out of 38 Premier League games last season - to become Saka's reserve player is unreasonable.
Madueke is likely to play on the left wing, where Arsenal are looking for an upgrade, or at least compete with Gabriel Martinelli.
In his two years at Chelsea, Madueke only played 398 minutes on the left wing in domestic or European competitions. His two coaches during that time, Mauricio Pochettino and Enzo Maresca, did not see it as a good idea to let Madueke play in that position. But the reality is that no Blues player has started on the left wing more than him in those two seasons.
Madueke has apparently convinced Maresca to give him a chance on the left wing at the end of the 2024-25 season, with 334 minutes on the pitch in the final month of the campaign. Including some difficult tasks, such as 72 minutes against Liverpool, 81 minutes against Manchester United and 45 minutes against Newcastle. His two appearances at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 also took place on the left wing.
Today, £50 million is the usual price for a player in a position like Madueke - a very good winger in the Premier League and has proven his ability. And at the age of 23, he is entering the peak years of his career, with a lot of time to improve.
As long as Madueke can adapt to playing regularly on the left wing, and be ready to switch to the right wing whenever Saka needs a break, he will be a very valuable contract.
