Chelsea are already gearing up for the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 final, set for Sunday against red-hot Paris Saint-Germain. But just days before kickoff at MetLife Stadium, one Blues player has departed the squad to finalize a $70 million transfer.
In a grueling 2024–25 season featuring more than 60 matches, head coach Enzo Maresca has had to rotate through a deep squad of 45 professionals. Still, after playing several minutes throughout the Club World Cup, one Chelsea winger has opted to leave the team to complete a high-profile move to another Premier League side.
Noni Madueke has traveled back to England to finalize his transfer to Arsenal. The club granted him permission to leave training and fly out of the U.S. on Friday to undergo medical tests and wrap up the deal with Chelsea’s London rivals.
Madueke registered 11 goals and 5 assists in 51 appearances across all competitions this season, including five Club World Cup matches. However, the 23-year-old has fallen out of favor under Maresca, often relegated to the bench. According to Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea and Arsenal agreed to a £52 million ($70M) package on Thursday, with the decision made to push the deal through ahead of Sunday’s final against PSG.
Maresca addresses Madueke’s exit
Madueke started in two Club World Cup matches, but his future at Stamford Bridge had already been in doubt—particularly with Brazilian prodigy Estevão set to join Chelsea in the near future. Facing limited minutes, Madueke took the opportunity to move on.
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“Noni is in contact with a new club. I guess that he’s going to leave in the next hours. I said in one of the last press conferences that at the end, if players want to leave, at the end, it’s difficult for the club and for the manager. Noni decided to leave, nobody told Noni he had to leave. If he is happy, we are happy,” said Maresca on Friday’s press conference.
Ahead of the semifinal against Fluminense, Maresca had already made his stance clear regarding squad dynamics: “The ones that are not happy, they are free to go,” a pointed message that appeared directed at Madueke. With his move now in motion, his involvement in the Club World Cup final is effectively off the table.
