Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca provides verdict on Noni Madueke’s exit

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has opened up on the imminent sale of Noni Madueke to Arsenal ahead of his side’s appearance in the Club World Cup final.

Madueke is set to undergo his Arsenal medical after being given permission by the Blues. He did not train with Chelsea in the United States on Friday and instead travelled back to the UK.

Read more: Noni Madueke set to undergo Arsenal medical

Arsenal have agreed a deal worth £52million to sign Madueke, who will put pen to paper on a five-year contract.

Speaking to reporters, Maresca said: “Noni is in contact with the new club. I guess he is going to be announced in the next hours.

“I said in the one of the last press conferences, if players want to leave then it is difficult for the club and the manager.

“Noni decided to leave, nobody told Noni he had to leave. If he is happy, we are happy.”

The 23-year-old played an instrumental role for Enzo Maresca’s side as they secured Champions League qualification last season.

He is part of Chelsea’s squad at the Club World Cup and came off the bench as the Blues reached the final of the competition after beating Brazilian side Fluminense 2-0.

Read more: Morgan Gibbs-White’s move to Tottenham is now off

Noni Madueke has racked up 92 appearances and scored 20 goals for Chelsea since joining them from PSV Eindhoven in January 2023.

He was in Tottenham’s academy before moving to the Netherlands to spend four and a half years.

Maresca earlier disclosed that he doesn’t have any doubts about Madueke’s frame of mind amid intense transfer “noise” linking him to Arsenal.

“[We had] the same noise before the Palmeiras game, and we gave him half an hour and he was very good,” Maresca told the press.

“I don’t have any doubts that if we need Noni, he will help us. I can understand when there is noise around you, it is difficult to deal with that.”

Read more: Morgan Gibbs-White set to undergo Tottenham medical