Noni Madueke is set to become Andrea Berta’s fourth signing at Arsenal, after the sporting director agreed a £52 million deal for the winger with Chelsea.
After a slow start to the window, Martin Zubimendi, Kepa Arrizabalaga and Christian Norgaard have all arrived at the Emirates this summer, and at least three further additions are expected.
Madueke is set to undergo his medical at London Colney ahead of a blockbuster switch from West London – a deal which hasn’t been well received by the Gunners’ faithful.
The England international managed just ten goal involvements in the Premier League last season, and thus, many fans felt that a more productive wide forward was needed.
Arsenal supporters believe resources should’ve been more carefully allocated to someone who has a proven track record of operating on the left wing, rather than a Bukayo Saka back-up.
That said, the way in which the Madueke deal has been structured could free up the funds to secure a move for a left-sided attacker regardless.
Despite the negative outside noise surrounding the deal, Arsenal Insider revealed on Friday that Arsenal believe they have secured a ‘great deal’ for Madueke.
The 23-year-old scored eleven times in all competitions last season, whilst putting up impressive underlying numbers that suggest that he could easily improve on this tally in the future.
The Gunners feel Madueke may even have been undervalued in the market and that they’ve potentially snapped up a player whose output could explode.
It’s been well documented that the total fee for the deal is around £52 million, and HandofArsenal has now revealed the breakdown of this sum.
Arsenal will pay Chelsea £48.5 million up front, likely in instalments, with £3.5 million in ‘basic add-ons’ on top of this.
These add-ons are likely to be performance related, paid to Chelsea over the next few years if Madueke hits certain targets.
Alongside Madueke, Rodrygo has also been cited as a target, while Arsenal also want to sign Eberechi Eze this summer.
Real Madrid have quoted in excess of £80 million for Rodrygo, a fee which may be outside of the Gunners’ budget, given they want to add three attackers this summer.
However, the deal Berta has been able to secure for Madueke could mean that the Gunners could still land Eze.
The Crystal Palace man has a release clause worth £68 million, but Arsenal are optimistic about negotiating with the Eagles and agreeing upon a lower fee.
Had Berta opted to pursue Rodrygo at the prospective £80 million price tag instead of Madueke, this may have hindered Arsenal’s ability to sign Eze as well.
The Italian has instead secured one of England’s brightest wingers for a relatively modest fee with a reasonable initial price before add-ons, which should allow the North Londoners to flex their financial might and also pursue Eze.
Berta has been criticised by some Arsenal fans for some of his early moves, but his squad building is starting to make sense as multiple different deals come together.
