By Milcah Tanimu
Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has not ruled out the possibility of Nigerian forward Noni Madueke leaving the club before the summer transfer window closes, especially with Newcastle United showing interest.
Madueke, who was born in England, struggled to secure regular game time last season, mainly due to the strong performances of Cole Palmer, who occupied his preferred position. Although Madueke is now on Newcastle’s radar, their inability to offload Miguel Almirón has cast doubt on whether a deal for the former PSV Eindhoven player will materialize.
Despite being one of Chelsea’s standout performers during pre-season, Madueke’s spot in the starting lineup remains uncertain, especially with the competition from Palmer and the arrivals of Pedro Neto and João Félix. His lack of minutes was evident when he was an unused substitute during Chelsea’s Premier League opener against Manchester City.
Madueke made his first appearance of the season in Chelsea’s UEFA Europa Conference League play-off against Servette, coming off the bench to replace Neto. He marked his return with a goal, sealing the victory for Chelsea and impressing Maresca in the process.
When asked whether he intends to keep Madueke following the win, Maresca expressed his admiration for the young forward but acknowledged that his future at the club remains uncertain until the transfer window closes.
“Yeah, absolutely,” Maresca said, as reported by Football.London. “The reality is until the transfer window is open, anything can happen. But for sure, Noni is the type of player I like.”
He added, “The important thing for Noni is consistency. He’s been doing well since he started with us, but he needs to work hard every day, and if he does, he’ll definitely get his minutes.”
