Chelsea defender Marc Cucurella has shared his thoughts on Noni Madueke’s sudden move to Arsenal, saying the timing felt a bit strange.
Madueke left Chelsea’s FIFA Club World Cup camp early to complete his big £52 million transfer to Arsenal. Because of that, he missed the final match against Paris Saint-Germain and didn’t get to celebrate the trophy win with his teammates.
Speaking during a Q&A at his football academy in Spain, Cucurella said Madueke’s choice to leave early was a missed chance.
> “Yes, it was strange,” Cucurella said. “He wasn’t a regular starter, but everything happening around his transfer distracted him. Waiting just one more day wouldn’t have hurt. He missed a really good moment.”
Cucurella even joked that former U.S. President Donald Trump, who gave out the trophy, might have taken Madueke’s winner’s medal.
> “Trump put it in his pocket. It’s probably in the White House now!” he laughed.
Madueke, 23, has now signed a five-year deal with Arsenal that runs until 2030. He played 92 games for Chelsea and scored 20 goals after joining in January 2023.
Because of his recent games with Chelsea at the Club World Cup, Arsenal left him out of their pre-season tour of Asia.
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