Madueke confirms Chelsea departure amid Arsenal links
England international Noni Madueke confirmed his departure from Chelsea on Friday, with British media reports linking the winger with a move to Premier League rivals Arsenal ahead of the 2025-26 season.
The 23-year-old bid farewell to the club on Instagram. The North London-born Madueke joined Chelsea from Dutch side PSV Eindhoven in January 2023 and has since made 92 appearances in all competitions, scoring 20 goals and providing nine assists.
"Dear Chelsea Football Club, I want to thank you for the last 3 or so years... To my teammates thank you for everything, I leave with only love and admiration for you guys," Madueke wrote.
"To (Chelsea manager) Enzo Maresca, it was a privilege to play under you, thank you for trying to better me as a player and as a person. Lastly thank you to every single Chelsea fan. Thank you for the love, the praise and also the criticism, I appreciate it all. I leave here with nothing but fond memories."
Madueke featured in five of Chelsea's seven Club World Cup matches in the United States, but did not play in their 3-0 final win over Champions League winners Paris St Germain on Sunday. REUTERS
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
12 hours ago
- Straits Times
Florian Wirtz's creativity can make up for Trent Alexander-Arnold loss, says Liverpool boss Arne Slot
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Liverpool's Florian Wirtz (right) in action with Athletic Bilbao's Inigo Ruiz de Galarreta during the Reds' 3-2 friendly win at Anfield on Aug 4. LIVERPOOL – Trent Alexander-Arnold's departure to Real Madrid has left Liverpool wanting for creativity but the signing of attacking midfielder Florian Wirtz can help offset that deficiency, the English Premier League club's manager Arne Slot said. Liverpool smashed their transfer record in June to sign Wirtz and bolster their attacking options, with the German international having scored 57 goals and provided 65 assists in 197 appearances for Bayer Leverkusen. Wirtz played in a Liverpool shirt for the first time at Anfield on Aug 4, putting in an impressive performance in the Merseyside club's 3-2 win over Athletic Bilbao in a pre-season match. Cody Gakpo found the net three times, twice for the Reds sandwiched by an own goal for Bilbao, during an eventful outing. Before his three goals, Mohamed Salah opened the scoring for Liverpool, before Oihan Sancet equalised for the visitors. 'I think there's always room for improvement in every department. Like I said, we've added a few, in my opinion, extra weapons. So, Florian has a lot of creativity in the final third,' Slot told reporters. 'We've lost with Trent a lot of creativity from the back. Trent's crosses and picking out runners was so special – I think Flo has this quality as well in a totally different position. 'But he brings that creativity, the pace of Hugo (Ekitike), the pace of both fullbacks – Milos (Kerkez) and Jeremie (Frimpong) today.' Liverpool, who won the Premier League to secure a record-equalling 20th English title, have been busy in the transfer market as they look to build on last season's success. Slot said it was crucial to strengthen the squad. 'Our competitors are not sitting still,' he added. 'Not only they try to improve as well but they have also made a lot of signings, like we all have done. So that's why it's going to be a very interesting Premier League in the upcoming year again.' Liverpool take on FA Cup winners Crystal Palace in the Community Shield on Aug 10, before beginning their Premier League title defence against Bournemouth at Anfield on Aug 15. Elsewhere in the Premier League, Sunderland manager Regis Le Bris was rewarded with a new long-term contract until 2028 on Aug 4 after leading the club to the top flight. The 49-year-old Frenchman was appointed in June 2024 after leaving Lorient and led the Black Cats back into the top flight. A 2-1 win over Sheffield United in the Championship play-off final in May marked the club's return to the Premier League after an eight-year absence. 'The connection I have with the staff, players and supporters has been natural, and we shared many great moments together,' said Le Bris, whose side open their campaign at home to West Ham United on Aug 16. 'The collective ambition is there to see and now, there is a desire to become stronger. I can feel the energy and intent to push forward, and we need that in the next challenges we will face. 'In every part of the organisation, everyone has their own part to play, and we are all aligned.' Sunderland finished fourth in the Championship last season before earning a dramatic play-off semi-final victory over Coventry to seal their spot at Wembley, where Tommy Watson's winner secured top flight football. The club have signed eight players over the summer, including former Arsenal and Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Granit Xhaka. Director of Football Florent Ghisolfi said: 'Regis' new contract is a mark of recognition for the outstanding work he's undertaken since arriving at Sunderland, and more importantly, it reflects our trust in the future we're building together. 'Our objective is to establish Sunderland as a Premier League Club – not just in name, but in identity, performance, and ambition – and Regis is an important part of that vision.' REUTERS, AFP
Straits Times
14 hours ago
- Straits Times
Wirtz's creativity can make up for Alexander-Arnold loss, says Liverpool boss Slot
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Trent Alexander-Arnold's departure to Real Madrid has left Liverpool wanting for creativity but the signing of attacking midfielder Florian Wirtz can help offset that deficiency, the Premier League club's manager Arne Slot said. Liverpool smashed their transfer record in June to sign Wirtz and bolster their attacking options, with the German international having scored 57 goals and provided 65 assists in 197 appearances for Bayer Leverkusen. Wirtz played in a Liverpool shirt for the first time at Anfield on Monday, putting in an impressive performance in the Merseyside club's 3-2 win over Athletic Bilbao in a pre-season match. "I think there's always room for improvement in every department. Like I said, we've added a few, in my opinion, extra weapons. So, Florian (Wirtz) has a lot of creativity in the final third," Slot told reporters. "We've lost with Trent (Alexander-Arnold) a lot of creativity from the back. Trent's crosses and picking out runners was so special – I think Flo has this quality as well in a totally different position. "But he brings that creativity, the pace of Hugo (Ekitike), the pace of both full-backs – Milos (Kerkez) and Jeremie (Frimpong) today." Liverpool, who won the Premier League to secure a record-equalling 20th English title, have been busy in the transfer market as they look to build on last season's success. Slot said it was crucial to strengthen the squad. "Our competitors are not sitting still," he added. "Not only they try to improve as well but they have also made a lot of signings, like we all have done. So that's why it's going to be a very interesting Premier League in the upcoming year again." Liverpool take on FA Cup winners Crystal Palace in the Community Shield on August 10, before beginning their Premier League title defence against Bournemouth at Anfield on August 15. REUTERS
CNA
15 hours ago
- CNA
Wirtz's creativity can make up for Alexander-Arnold loss, says Liverpool boss Slot
Trent Alexander-Arnold's departure to Real Madrid has left Liverpool wanting for creativity but the signing of attacking midfielder Florian Wirtz can help offset that deficiency, the Premier League club's manager Arne Slot said. Liverpool smashed their transfer record in June to sign Wirtz and bolster their attacking options, with the German international having scored 57 goals and provided 65 assists in 197 appearances for Bayer Leverkusen. Wirtz played in a Liverpool shirt for the first time at Anfield on Monday, putting in an impressive performance in the Merseyside club's 3-2 win over Athletic Bilbao in a pre-season match. "I think there's always room for improvement in every department. Like I said, we've added a few, in my opinion, extra weapons. So, Florian (Wirtz) has a lot of creativity in the final third," Slot told reporters. "We've lost with Trent (Alexander-Arnold) a lot of creativity from the back. Trent's crosses and picking out runners was so special – I think Flo has this quality as well in a totally different position. "But he brings that creativity, the pace of Hugo (Ekitike), the pace of both full-backs – Milos (Kerkez) and Jeremie (Frimpong) today." Liverpool, who won the Premier League to secure a record-equalling 20th English title, have been busy in the transfer market as they look to build on last season's success. Slot said it was crucial to strengthen the squad. "Our competitors are not sitting still," he added. "Not only they try to improve as well but they have also made a lot of signings, like we all have done. So that's why it's going to be a very interesting Premier League in the upcoming year again." Liverpool take on FA Cup winners Crystal Palace in the Community Shield on August 10, before beginning their Premier League title defence against Bournemouth at Anfield on August 15.
