Arsenal have been on the verge of completing a deal to sign Noni Madueke from Chelsea for a number of days now.
But there has been no confirmation of the £52million transfer going through yet.
Arsenal have been looking for a new wide player for much of the summer transfer window, and despite plenty of consternation in the fanbase about another Chelsea player arriving in north London, Madueke looks to be an astute signing, with the Gunners in need of right-sided reinforcements.
Madueke will offer much-needed competition for Bukayo Saka, on whom Arsenal have had an over-reliance in recent seasons.
football.london understands Madueke will sign a five-year contract at the Emirates Stadium having already completed the formalities of the deal.
So why has the deal not been confirmed?
Up until last weekend, Madueke was with the Chelsea squad on duty at the Club World Cup in the United States of America. The 23-year-old came off the bench in the Blues’ semi-final win over Fluminense on Tuesday, July 8.
With talks progressing over the deal to take him to Arsenal, however, Madueke left Chelsea’s Club World Cup campaign prior to the final in New Jersey that the Blues won by defeating Paris Saint-Germain 3-0.
Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £192 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.
Sky will show at least 215 live Premier League games next season, an increase of up to 100 more.
It is because of that Club World Cup journey, however, that is the reason why Madueke has not been confirmed.
While the formalities of the deal may have been completed already, Madueke has not officially signed, having been allowed to go on holiday because of his participation in the Club World Cup.
FIFA guidelines state that players should have at least three consecutive weeks of holiday after the end of a season and Madueke is currently enjoying that break.
Arsenal allowed Madueke that extended time off, not expecting him to be on the plane for the start of the club’s pre-season tour of Asia. Madueke has only had one week off so far and another two weeks would see him miss the tour entirely.
It may be some time before the deal is officially announced.
