Arsenal have already signed a “10/10 talent” who could send Madueke packing

Arsenal are in a weird place at the moment.

On the one hand, Mikel Arteta’s side are top of the Premier League, top of the Champions League, into the next round of the FA Cup, and two games away from winning the League Cup.

Yet, on the other hand, the Gunners are without a win in their last three league games, and worse than that, they haven’t scored a goal in those games, with Lisandro Martínez putting the ball in his own net on Sunday.

Unsurprisingly, this has led to the attackers coming under scrutiny, with Noni Madueke being a player of particular concern and someone who could eventually see his place in this Arsenal squad taken by another youngster signed by Andrea Berta.

Why Madueke has become a concern for Arsenal

Now, the first thing to say is that it’s still early on in Madueke’s Arsenal career, and therefore, there is time for him to improve.

Furthermore, there have been moments of magic from the Englishman this season, like his performance against Nottingham Forest and his brace against Club Brugge.

However, therein lies the big problem: he has only truly shone in moments.

Sure, the dynamic winger is very good at getting past defenders and busting into the penalty area, but he’s also incredibly wasteful and, as things stand, has a deserved reputation for having no end product.

For example, the “agent of chaos,” as dubbed by writer Adam Keys, has made 19 appearances for the Gunners this season, in which he has scored three goals and provided two assists.

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That might be deemed an okay return for some clubs, but it most certainly is not for a team chasing domestic and European glory.

Worse still, across his time with the North Londoners and Chelsea, the 23-year-old has made 81 Premier League appearances, totalling 4327 minutes, in which he has scored 13 goals and provided seven assists.

In other words, since moving back to England, he has only averaged a goal involvement in the top flight every 4.05 games, or every 216.35 minutes, which, again, is not good enough.

Perhaps the most damning statistic is that he hasn’t scored or provided an assist in the league for over a year now, with his last goal coming on January 25th 2025.

In all, it would be fair to say that Madueke has underwhelmed for Arsenal this season, and while there is still time for him to improve, there is also a chance that, in time, he’ll be replaced by another of Andrea Berta’s signings.

The Arsenal gem who could replace Madueke

Since his arrival last year, Berta has made more than a few top-tier additions to Arsenal.

From getting the deal for Martin Zubimendi over the line to bringing in Eberechi Eze and Viktor Gyokeres, the Spaniard has seemingly changed the way the Gunners approach the market.

However, he’s not just brought in established names; in early December, he agreed a deal for highly rated Ecuadorian twins, Holger and Edwin Quintero.

The 16-year-olds won’t be able to join up with the first team until 2027, but there is a genuine hope that they’ll develop into superstars, and when it comes to competition for Madueke, Edwin is someone worth keeping an eye on.

The teenage phenom is capable of playing in the ten position, but is at his best off the right, where he can make the most of his technical abilities and desire to take opponents on.

For example, respected analyst-turned-scout, Ben Mattinson, states that the youngster is “is so skilful and constantly uses flair to fool defenders and make smart passes.”

However, he’s not just someone who’ll run at defenders without thinking, as Mattinson also points out that he “has the ability to run games and create something out of nothing.”

That ability to be dynamic but also thoughtful is one of the reasons he could one day pose a threat to someone like Madueke, who is undoutbly the former, but can be frustrating when he loses the ball or makes the wrong decisions.

It’s not just Mattinson who is incredibly excited about the teenage phenomenon, though, as talent scout Jacek Kulig has been bold enough to describe him as “an absolute joy to watch” and a “10/10 talent.”

Likewise, U23 scout Antonio Mango also seems to be enthralled by the attacking prospect.

He has described him as a “player that is always looking to make a difference” who “likes to play with short pass-and-move principles” but then is also incredibly “dangerous from distance.”

Ultimately, Quintero is not going to replace Madueke anytime soon, but if he does live up to the hype, and the former Chelsea man continues to underwhelm, then he could eventually take his place in this Arsenal side.

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