'Nobody told him he had to leave' - Enzo Maresca opens up on Noni Madueke exit as Chelsea boss confirms £52m Arsenal transfer is imminent

Speaking at a press conference ahead of Chelsea's maruqee matchup against Paris Saint-Germain, Maresca shared that Madueke is in contact with the Gunners. The winger will not be taking part in the game, as he has been given permission to travel back to London to complete a medical with Arsenal. A transfer fee of £52 million ($70m) including add-ons has been agreed between the two clubs.

The switch comes as something of a surprise, as Madueke was a first-team regular for Maresca in the 2024-25 season. He scored 11 times for Chelsea in all competitions, and his club form saw him rewarded with his first senior caps in an England shirt. However, Maresca said the impetus behind the move came from the 23-year-old himself, and that the club did not want him to leave. Reports surrounding Madueke's questionable discipline and poor performances in training have surfaced in the past 24 hours.

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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."

Maresca's attention will be fully squared on the Club World Cup final. The Blues manager has plenty of options to fill Madueke's spot in the starting XI, with a glut of wide forwards and attacking midfielders to call upon, including the newly-acquired Joao Pedro. The Brazilian scored twice on debut in Chelsea's semi-final win over Fluminense. Madueke presumably now has to wrestle the starting position on Arsenal's left flank away from Gabriel Martinelli, with Leandro Trossard potentially departing for Fenerbahce in the coming days.