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With seven goals and three assists in the Premier League last season, Noni Madueke put up his best domestic season in England to date. Since moving to Chelsea in January 2023 as a 20-year-old winger, Madueke has shown plenty of improvement.

From initially untrusted and extremely raw under Graham Potter and then Frank Lampard in a chaotic environment at Stamford Bridge, Madueke slowly but surely asserted himself with Mauricio Pochettino.It took a while - Madueke ended with less than 1,100 league minutes and only 13 starts (23 appearances) - but was worth it.

His output has increased steadily but surely. He managed five goals and two assists last year at a strong 0.60 per90. That dropped off over a larger sample size of more than 2,000 minutes (27 starts and 32 appearances) in 2024/25 but remained strong.

The 0.44 goals and assists per90 last season he managed was lower than all of Gabriel Martinelli, Leandro Trossard, Nico Williams, and Rodrygo, but only just. These are the players he is now competing with as Arsenal make their interest known.

According to reports, the Gunners are monitoring Madueke as they seek to add a new winger to Mikel Arteta's squad. Initial links to Madueke may well have appeared surprising given his poor 2025, but there is logic there.

Madueke was a highly rated teenager when he went to PSV Eindhoven and came through in men's football. The biggest concern was his history with injuries, but that hasn't proved to be an issue over two-and-a-half years at Chelsea.

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Whilst there is still an inconsistency to Madueke's game - he started this season where he left off under Pochettino, in fine form, before really starting to dry up - there are plenty of positive ingredients to work with. He is an expansive dribbler and has shown he can play on both sides, which would help Arsenal.

Although he has looked increasingly uncomfortable on the left as his stint there as cover for Enzo Maresca has gone on, the first few matches he played were impressive. It is on the right, as competition and backup for Bukayo Saka, that Arsenal really need, anyway.

He is English, so knows a core group of players in the Arsenal team, including Saka and Declan Rice. He also fits the age bracket for those who have been signed in recent years.

So, where does Madueke rank in comparison to those who Arsenal have and are focusing their transfer attention on? Well, Williams may well be out of the equation as Barcelona finally move into pole position to sign him, so he is a good place to star as an alternative.

Madueke record two more goals from a similar pool of minutes but assisted two fewer. The goals contribution is therefore equal but Madueke edges it per90 on both counts.

Going beyond just the output and Madueke put up more progressive carries (6.81-5.32 per90). He falls short on shot creating actions, which were down significantly, 0.35-0.59 per90. Both players are active defensively which is a big part of Arteta's demands in making Arsenal an impenetrable off-ball team.

Williams attempts and completes more take-ons per game (5.19-4.51 and 2.29-1.99 respectively) whilst his final third carries are also much higher. Madueke is more successful at getting into the box, though, with four per match as opposed to Williams at just over 2.60.

The caveat to make is that Williams is a year younger than Madueke. However, he also plays in a league which is arguably not as competitive, and that must be taken into account.What Williams and Madueke actually do with the possession they get is something which will be a point of concern. Both players must improve their output again, and the same goes for decision making.

What might seem like a slam-dunk in terms of making a signing soon becomes a bit cloudy. Madueke has been valued at around £50million-£55million by Newcastle United in the past when they showed interest, where Williams has a release clause of a similar price. Williams' enormous wages have been a sticking point for most clubs around Europe.

This stacks up with the underlying metrics of Martinelli, who is Arsenal's go-to on the left.He scored eight and assisted four in the league last season but had a considerably lower xG per90 which might suggests Madueke was taking shots from a better position.

Martinelli is less of a dribbler and carrier than Madueke. He also shoots less frequently but is more clinical with his shots, something Madueke must improve on. He often has attempts from poor positions or when crowded in the box.

Again, they definitely are comparable, which poses the question, how would Arsenal feel about having a more dribbly version of Martinelli as a right-side option? That is where the Rodrygo factor comes in.

He played less than in the previous two years at Madrid with Kylian Mbappe joining and has a less defined role in a frontline trying to fit Vinicius Jr and Jude Bellingham in as well.His output remained steady, but Rodrygo's point of difference is his passing.

He completed almost twice as many as Martinelli, Williams, and Madueke last season, putting up over 3,000 progressive passing yards (Madueke, for example, was at 1,850). He plays more key passes and dribbles less.

That is very much the Saka mould of winger. He is someone who uses combinations more than individual trickery (which there is also masses of).

Rodrygo, as opposed to Williams and Madueke, is a different profile of player. He is still a threat through take-ons but is much more of a threat with passing then the others. He would also be the most expensive on this mini shortlist.

Whether or not Arsenal go in for either Rodrygo or Madueke waits to be seen. What is clear is that despite the confusion over why Madueke is being considered, there are understandable reasons for the interest.