Chelsea’s over bloated squad does not look like it will be trimmed any time soon as Noni Madueke situation is clarified to the media.
The former Tottenham Hotspur youth was signed in the summer from PSV Eindhoven in the Dutch Eredivisie. Despite the hype around his signing, he has failed to break into the first team, being dropped for games more often than he is being included in matchday squads.
Injuries have also played a big part in him not getting more minutes. Other players, however, have been favoured more for his position. This has led to speculation over his future.
It was recently reported that Chelsea are intending to let go of a number of their players, Madueke included. This would help reduce the bloating in their squad which manager Mauricio Pochettino has struggled to handle since taking over the reins.
Chelsea were looking to let go of Madueke alongside Ian Maatsen, Trevor Chalobah and Armando Broja in January. They were immediately going to be replaced by Arsenal goalie Aaron Ramsdale and Jobe Bellingham from Sunderland. Talks about the club breaking the bank for Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen in January also fills the media space.
However, it is Ramsdale’s links that are now getting stronger just as Madueke’s exit reports have been quelled.
There are contrasting reports in the media over Ramsdale’s signing, however. Some outlets report that the club only briefly considered it due to Robert Sanchez’s injury which appears to be severe and will likely see him out for a long time. Others report that the club have decided to stick with their second and third choices.
As more reports emerge, what is certain is that Madueke is staying and that more players are coming to join him to compete for a few spots in an overloaded team. It remains to be seen how Pochettino will handle the coming months.
Meanwhile, Chelsea fans are eagerly anticipating the debut of Christopher Nkunku, who is also competing for spots with Madueke.
The Frenchman is set to make his debut for the club since he picked up an injury in pre-season. He could start against Newcastle United or come off the bench. However, Pochettino has hinted that the former RB Leipzig man will have a role to play in the match.
Speaking on why Nkunku’s debut could come against Newcastle, Pochettino said: “Christopher was involved on Saturday [against Sheffield United] and is going to be involved again. Today he trained well, so maybe he has the possibility to be involved in some minutes of the game.”
“The reality is he wasn’t for me a player to be involved after it went 2-0 against Sheffield United. I saw today he was much better than the day before we played against Sheffield United, so maybe it increases the possibility he will be involved. How I saw him today, maybe he can play 20 minutes.”
