Arsenal signed winger Maduaike from Chelsea for 52 million pounds. Since Arteta coached the Gunners, the team has signed 6 players from Chelsea. This transfer has been opposed by some Arsenal fans before the official announcement. The Athletic poste...
Arsenal signed winger Maduaike from Chelsea for 52 million pounds. Since Arteta coached the Gunners, the team has signed 6 players from Chelsea. This transfer has been opposed by some Arsenal fans before the official announcement. The Athletic posted a post talking about some behind the scenes of the deal. The article revealed that although the outside world has been discussing the transfer of the conference, Maduaike has not wavered, and people familiar with the players praised him for his strong psychological qualities. Maduaike believes that any negative voice to the transfer is a challenge to him, and he must draw motivation from it and try to prove himself. And Arsenal also firmly believes that they have signed an exciting young player with transfer fees that meet market prices.
Maduaike will not join Arsenal immediately. He originally hoped to end the post-Football Cup holiday early, participate in Arsenal's pre-season training immediately, and participate in the Asian tour with the team. But Arsenal advised him to take a break first, take a good rest before the long season, and maintain a good mental state. During this period, he can also accept the help of the club's physical coach.
TA said the deal was progressing rapidly and Arsenal had been looking for a winger with speed, versatility and breakthrough capabilities. At first, their target was Brentford Mbemo, but he decided to join Manchester United, so Arsenal began to explore other options. Maduaike has long been favored by Arsenal coaching staff, including head coach Arteta. Former club sports director Edu and the recruitment department have reservations about signing Maduaike, but with the arrival of Berta, things have changed.
Arsenal chose to introduce Maduaike this summer to value his Premier League experience, ability to play on both sides and age advantages. He is fast and strong, and meets the team's requirements. After introducing 30-year-old Kepa, 31-year-old Norgao and 27-year-old Yorkress, signing 23-year-old Maduaike will help the team balance the overall age. Moreover, Maduaike's injury record has been good in the past two seasons, which is something Arteta values very much.
Chelsea are open to selling Maduaike this summer, and the players have occasional discipline issues. At the end of the 2023-24 season, he and his teammate Jackson had a dispute on the court over a penalty. Last season, Maduaike was excluded from the competition list by Maresca twice, one because of poor training performance and the other because of "technical reasons". The player also made remarks on social media that "this place is bad", which caused a lot of controversy, but under Maresca, he is still the main force.
However, Maduaike and Maresca have a good relationship, and there is a harsh love between them, which the players think makes him a better and more mature player. Arsenal also made a back-touch adjustment to Maduaike and asked the English players in the team about the situation, and the feedback they received was positive. They praised Maduaike's character and influence in the locker room, saying that the player is determined and has been improving, and has hired a personal trainer in addition to the club's training to further improve his abilities.
