Arsenal sign Madueke from London rivals Chelsea

Arsenal's summer spending continued on Friday as the Gunners confirmed the arrival of winger Noni Madueke from Premier League rivals Chelsea. 

Madueke, who has put pen to paper on a five-year contract with Mikel Arteta's side, arrives in north London for a reported £48.5m initial transfer fee, which could increase further with add-ons. 

The 23-year-old becomes Arsenal's fourth summer signing, with the club having already struck deals for Martin Zubimendi, Christian Norgaard and Kepa Arrizabalaga, with the latter also signing from Chelsea.

Madueke made 92 appearances for Chelsea across all competitions after joining the Blues from PSV in January 2023, scoring 19 goals and registering seven assists, with 15 of those goal involvements coming in 2024-25. 

In the Premier League last season, only Cole Palmer (51) completed more dribbles than Madueke (45) for Chelsea, while he also created the fifth-highest number of chances (32) in the team. 

Madueke leaves Stamford Bridge after helping the Blues to glory in the Conference League and Club World Cup, though he left the latter tournament early to complete this move. 

Ahead of Chelsea's 3-0 win over Paris Saint-Germain in the final, Enzo Maresca all but confirmed Madueke's switch to Arsenal, saying he was "in contact with a new club".

Madueke's departure comes after Chelsea strengthened in the attacking areas with the additions of Joao Pedro, Jamie Gittens and Liam Delap earlier in the transfer window. 

And just before his move to Arsenal was confirmed, Madueke penned an emotional message on social media to express his gratitude for his time with Chelsea. 

"I want to thank you for the last 3 or so years. To every staff member that helped me along this journey, thank you," Madueke said in a post on Instagram.

"To my teammates thank you for everything, I leave with only love and admiration for you guys.

"We achieved so much this season and I honestly wish you guys nothing but the best.

"To Enzo Maresca, it was a privilege to play under you, thank you for trying to better me as a player and as a person. Lastly thank you to every single Chelsea fan.

"Thank you for the love, the praise and also the criticism, I appreciate it all. I leave here with nothing but fond memories."

Madueke made his England debut in September 2024 and has gone on to make seven appearances for the national team.

Arsenal are also reportedly closing in on the signings of Sporting CP's Viktor Gyokeres and Valencia's Cristhian Mosquera as they aim to improve on last year's second-placed finish in the Premier League, the third straight year they have finished as runners-up.

The Gunners open their top-flight campaign away to Manchester United on August 17, with Madueke not due to face his former club until November 29, when his new side make the trip to Stamford Bridge.