Mikel Arteta was back in front of the media at Emirates Stadium to reflect on Arsenal 3-0 win over Athletic Club on Saturday, and the head coach spoke positively about Noni Madueke’s performance against the Spanish club.
Softfootball reported earlier that Madueke swapped Chelsea for Arsenal this summer in a deal that could be worth up to £52million. The England international featured for Chelsea at the Club World Cup and, as a result, was not part of Arsenal’s pre-season tour of Asia.
However, Madueke cut his holiday short so he could link up with his new teammates and get as much of a pre-season under his belt as possible.
Madueke featured for the Gunners at Emirates stadium on Saturday and Arteta was pleased with his performance and spoke to the Arsenal media team after the game as seen on the club official website. He revealed what Madueke had done that has really impressed him.
The gaffer said:
“Great. I think the reception that he got every time he was on the ball the other day as well, super positive, I think that lifts any player, brings energy,”
“You can tell the quality that he’s got every time he’s on the ball, in and around the box on 1v1, the ball lands obviously to a player in our colour inside the box and that’s a massive quality to have.
“He can play left and right, he doesn’t care, so he’s a big weapon for us.”
The England international is a very good winger who has proven himself at Premier League level, and at 23 years old is heading into the prime years of his career, with plenty of time on his side to improve.
As long as Madueke can adjust to playing more regularly on the left, while also being able to switch back to the right whenever Saka needs a break, he could be a very worthwhile signing for Arsenal.
