Arsenal have struck gold on "phenomenal" star worth way more than Madueke

It wouldn't be hyperbole to say the last few weeks have felt like something of a whirlwind for Arsenal.

After a slow start to the transfer window, the Premier League runners-up have now officially announced the signings of Martin Zubimendi, Christian Norgaard and Kepa Arrizabalaga.

Andrea Berta and Co don't seem to be slowing down anytime soon either, as both Viktor Gyokeres and Eberechi Eze continue to be heavily touted for moves to the Emirates.

However, the star that appears set to be announced by the club is Noni Madueke, and while he could be a hit, Mikel Arteta already has someone in his position worth millions more, and no, it's not Bukayo Saka.

Why Arsenal want Madueke

It would be fair to say that the reaction to Arsenal's interest and imminent signing of Madueke this week hasn't exactly gone down well with large swathes of the fanbase.

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The mood from some sections has been so sour that it led to journalist Sam Dean asking if any big money signing had caused such a commotion in the past.

With the final fee reported to be around £52m, it is easy to see where some fans are coming from, as in a summer in which the club needs to bring in some game-changing signings, it seems like a perplexing use of funds.

However, when we take a look at some of his data, some things jump out and point to why Arteta and Co might want to bring him in.

For example, FBref ranked him in the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers in Europe's top five leagues for progressive carries and carries into the penalty area and the top 7% for total progressive carrying distance, all per 90.

Madueke's FBref scout report Statistics Per 90 Percentile Progressive Carries 6.82 Top 1% Carries into Penalty Area 4.12 Top 1% GCA (Defensive Action) 0.04 Top 4% Touches (Att Pen) 8.15 Top 4% Non-Penalty xG 0.43 Top 6% Shots Total 3.54 Top 7% Progressive Carrying Distance 154.28 Top 7% Shots on Target 1.33 Top 8% All Stats via FBref

In a team that was sometimes critiqued by fans and pundits alike last season for being too slow and predictable in build-up, these attributes could be beneficial in disrupting opposition defences.

Moreover, he would be able to provide cover for the talismanic Saka and, in turn, help prevent him from being overplayed and picking up more injuries.

However, Arteta already has a player fulfilling that role, and he's worth millions more than Madueke.

The Arsenal star worth millions more than Madueke

Arsenal are blessed with an abundance of incredible talents in their squad, but in this instance, we are talking about none other than Ethan Nwaneri.

The tremendously exciting youngster has been someone fans have known about since his debut at just 15 years old in 2022, but it was last season that he really shot to prominence.

In fact, the teenage talent has made such a splash in the last year or so that Football Transfers now value him at around €74.3m, which comes out to about £64m, or £12m more than Madueke is set to cost.

It might seem like an absurd price tag for someone so young, but we really don't think it is.

For example, despite starting last season as a 17-year-old, the "phenomenal" talent, as dubbed by former professional Stephen Warnock, scored nine goals and provided two assists in just 1378 senior minutes.

That means that in his first proper taste of first-team football, when playing in Europe and the toughest league in the world, he averaged a goal involvement every 125.27 minutes.

In contrast, the soon-to-be Arsenal player scored 11 goals and provided five assists in 2647 minutes, which is an average of a goal involvement every 165.43 minutes.

Nwaneri vs Madueke in 24/25 Players Nwaneri Madueke Appearances 37 46 Minutes 1378' 2647' Goals 9 11 Assists 2 5 Goal Involvements per Match 0.29 0.34 Minutes per Goal Involvement 125.27' 165.43' All Stats via Transfermarkt

Moreover, the Enfield-born ace can play in several positions, making him even more useful than the average player.

Finally, the sheer fact that he's looked at home in the first team at his age is a great indicator that Arsenal have a serious talent on their hands.

Ultimately, signing Madueke might work out in the long run for Arteta and Co., but he's going to have to hit the ground running to convince the fans and see his valuation get anywhere near Nwaneri's.

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