"It's not a step up, it's not a step down" - Pundit claims Noni Madueke's move from Chelsea to Arsenal is a 'sideways move'

Former Chelsea winger Pat Nevin believes Noni Madueke's transfer to Arsenal is a lateral move. The Englishman left Stamford Bridge this summer to move to the Emirates in a reported £52m deal.

Speaking to Compare.bet, Nevin added that the Blues won't be affected by Madueke's departure.

"It’s a sideways move for Noni Madueke, it's not a step up, it's not a step down, it's a sort of sideways move, which is fine, it’s great. I don't like using too many Americanisms, but that's the Chelsea method and you have to understand it. So if you go and watch the way it works in the American game, American football or baseball, that's just the deal. They do it and they try to make it work. They're much more comfortable than we are," said Nevin.

He continued:

"We're beholden to it and heartbroken when our favourite players go. It's kind of not like that really. And I don't think Americans see it that way. I don't think Chelsea see Noni Madueke as an average player or a poor player. He's an England international. He's a young player who's getting better all the time. I think it's a great move for him."

He concluded:

"From Chelsea's point of view, they'll get a load of money, right? That's great. So they'll make a profit. Great, that's what they like doing. They've got other players, they've got Jamie Gittens, they've got Pedro Neto. They're okay, they're fine, they're all right."

Madueke is not part of Arsenal's pre-season squad due to his involvement in the FIFA Club World Cup with the Blues.

Will Chelsea battle Arsenal for Xavi Simons this summer?

Chelsea are leading the race for Arsenal and Bayern Munich target Xavi Simons, according to reports. The Dutch attacking midfielder is coming off a fine campaign with RB Leipzig, racking in 11 goals and eight assists from 33 games across competitions.

The London giants are pleased with his efforts and are already discussing personal terms with the player, according to acclaimed journalist Fabrizio Romano. The 22-year-old is apparently open to a move to Stamford Bridge this summer.

Journalist Sacha Tavolieri adds that Simons has already informed RB Leipzig that he wants to join the Blues. The German giants are already looking for a replacement for the Dutchman this summer. Interestingly, it is believed that Arsenal are still in the race for Simons at the moment.

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Deepungsu is a veteran football journalist who has been covering daily transfer roundups and news for over seven years at Sportskeeda. He has written more than 9000 articles for the website, and has garnered over 20 million reads.

Deepungsu holds a PG degree in Microbiology and an MBA degree in Total Quality Management. He has an extensive two-decade long writing experience, which includes a decade of sports blogging. His writing prowess has even led his work getting cited on the legendary Franz Beckenbauer's Wikipedia page.

Inspired by Diego Maradona, Deepungsu played as an attacking midfielder for his local club at subdivision level in his initial years and scored an important goal or two. However, his all-time favorite footballer is Lionel Messi, and evidently, he feels Argentina's glory in 2022 is his favorite FIFA World Cup moment for fulfilling his long-standing dream. He is also an ardent East Bengal fan.

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Edited by Deepungsu Pandit