Arsenal are looking to reduce their over-reliance on Bukayo Saka this season, with the winger showing signs that injuries may be creeping into his game.
Saka suffered a serious hamstring injury last campaign that kept him out for over three months, while he’s already sustained another issue of the same type this term.
Given that the England international has been Arsenal’s most productive player in each of the last four seasons, losing him for long periods of time will simply be too detrimental for Mikel Arteta’s team to recover from.
Thus, the Gunners looked to address this issue of a single point of failure by strengthening in the transfer window.
Dan Burn says Noni Madueke is as dangerous a dribbler as Bukayo Saka
Arsenal signed Noni Madueke from Chelsea for £52 million over the summer.
The Gunners identified the 23-year-old as the ideal candidate to deputise for Saka, as well as a potential option on the left wing.
The signing of Madueke was divisive when the news of the move broke, but fans are slowly warming to the Englishman.
The former PSV Eindhoven man impressed away at Anfield in the Gunners’ last outing, and he’s beginning to earn plaudits from players and pundits for his ability.
Speaking for the England Football Learning TikTok account, Madueke’s Three Lions teammate Dan Burn named the new Arsenal signing as the most ‘deceptive’ in the current England squad.
The Newcastle defender also compared his ability to dribble both ways to Saka’s.
“I’ll go Noni, because I feel like Noni can go either way when he’s got the ball,” Burn said.
“Sometimes it’s a bit like Bukayo [Saka], where you want to send them onto their weaker foot, but you’re not really sure! Yeah, I’ll go Noni.”
Noni Madueke’s statistics vs Bukayo Saka’s statistics
If Madueke continues to impress in a red and white shirt, there may be a genuine competition between him and Saka for the spot on the right wing.
In an ideal world for Arteta, the two players reach a level where he can rotate freely between them on a game-by-game basis.
The other potential scenario is that they’re both so good that one of them settles for a place on the left-hand side, although Madueke has evidently looked less comfortable in that role.
| Statistical Comparison 2024/25 (League Only) | ||
| Stat | Saka | Madueke |
| Appearances | 25 | 32 |
| Goals | 6 | 7 |
| Assists | 10 | 3 |
| Shots per 90 | 3.44 | 3.54 |
| Expected Goals per 90 | 0.35 | 0.42 |
| Key Passes per 90 | 3.02 | 1.42 |
| Expected Assists per 90 | 0.41 | 0.19 |
| Successful Take-ons per 90 | 2.14 | 1.99 |
Last season, Madueke was as effective as Saka at getting shots off and more effective at getting into good positions to shoot inside the box.
However, Arsenal’s talisman was the superior player in almost every other aspect, thriving creatively and dribbling at a higher rate.
It will be fascinating to see how their numbers compare in the same team.
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