Noni Madueke leaving Arsenal already? Seriously, why would we?

Perhaps the strangest thing about this story is how quickly it has travelled.

CaughtOffside report that Atletico Madrid and Juventus are monitoring Noni Madueke ahead of January, despite also acknowledging that no formal negotiations have taken place and his Arsenal contract runs until 2030 .

Nevertheless, the story has already been picked up and repeated across numerous Arsenal publications.

And that is how transfer speculation can quickly begin to acquire a life of its own.

One report becomes five reports. Five become ten. Before long, supporters could be forgiven for thinking Arsenal are genuinely considering moving Madueke on.

But strip away the repetition and ask the basic footballing question.

Why would Arsenal want to do that?

Arsenal Bought Madueke For Exactly This Situation

Arsenal have already lost Gabriel Martinelli to Al Hilal and Leandro Trossard to Besiktas this summer.

Whatever people thought about those departures individually, they removed two experienced attacking players from Arteta’s squad.

Madueke therefore isn’t some surplus winger sitting behind a huge collection of alternatives. He is one of the players Arsenal need to maintain attacking depth, and crucially he provides genuine senior cover for Bukayo Saka.

That matters when you consider Saka’s workload last season.

The England international made 48 appearances for Arsenal in 2025/26, comprising 31 Premier League games, 11 Champions League appearances, five in the Carabao Cup and one in the FA Cup.

He finished those matches with 11 goals and eight assists – 19 goal contributions in total.

Those numbers underline precisely why Arsenal need another quality right-sided attacker.

For years, supporters have worried about Saka being asked to play too much football. Surely the answer isn’t finally to give Arteta a credible alternative and then send that alternative elsewhere six months later?

Limited Minutes In September Prove Very Little

The argument appears to be based largely on Madueke not currently starting regularly.

We’re in September.

Arsenal are competing across four competitions and have only just begun another Champions League campaign. Injuries, rotation, loss of form and fixture congestion will all influence Arteta’s selections over the months ahead.

Nobody knows today how many starts Madueke will have accumulated by January.

And if Saka does need resting or misses games, who exactly would Arsenal rather have available?

That is before considering that Madueke himself made 43 club appearances during 2025/26, scoring eight goals and supplying three assists.

This isn’t a young player being kept around merely to make up the numbers. Arsenal have an experienced international attacker capable of stepping into the team when required.