Newcastle United ‘make approach’ to sign £29m dazzling winger from Premier League rivals

Newcastle United are pushing to sign Chelsea wonderkid Noni Madueke, according to reports from Football Insider.

The 22-year-old has emerged as one of Newcastle’s top targets this summer as they look to bolster their options on the right side of attack. Madueke has been shortlisted alongside the likes of Jarrod Bowen from West Ham and Crysencio Summerville from Leeds United, and appears to be Newcastle’s most realistic option in terms of affordability at this time.

Football Insider claims that Newcastle have approached Chelsea to enquire about Madueke’s availability this summer but claims that talks are in the early stages and adds that no official contact has been made between the footballer’s representatives and Newcastle United.

Madueke came through the youth system at Crystal Palace and Tottenham before leaving England to move to the Netherlands and sign for PSV in 2018. He lifted the KVNB Cup in his third season in Eindhoven and was earmarked for his tremendous potential after providing a sense of attacking flair to the team.

Madueke arrived at Chelsea for £29m back in January 2023. He said at the time: "To return to England and play in the Premier League is a dream for me and my family and I can't wait to get started. I am excited for what the future holds, the owner's vision for the future and to be at a club like this and winning at the highest level."

The youngster was initially a bright spark in the team’s dismal end to the season under both Graham Potter and later Frank Lampard. This form earned him a starting spot in Lee Carsley’s England U21 team for the European Championships that summer as the Three Lions roared to victory.

Madueke, alongside Anthony Gordon, was a catalyst for the team’s incredible success during the tournament in Romania and Georgia. Overall, he played in all of the country’s six matches and was praised for his flair and confidence on the ball as England triumphed over the Spanish in the final to earn their first trophy since 1984 at that level.

The young forward struggled to win a place in the Blues first team following the arrival of Mauricio Pochettino and for most of the first half of the season was limited to appearances from the subs bench. However, as the season progressed Madueke was able to win the trust of the  Argentine manager and was able to finish the season with a respectable five goals and two assists from 23 league appearances - a figure that is only marginally worse than both Miguel Almiron and Jacob Murphy combined despite both playing more games on the right.

Madueke has ambitions of making the England team for the upcoming World Cup in 2026, but once again finds himself at a crossroads at Stamford Bridge following the arrival of yet another new manager in Enzo Maresca. This summer the Blues have already added Omari Kellyman and Marc Guiu to their list of attacking options and it remains to be seen whether Madueke will be a major part of Chelsea’s plans moving forward.

The youngster is reportedly seeking assurances over first team minutes this season and could see Newcastle as a better pathway to the England team.

This was epitomized by former international team-mate Gordon, who enjoyed a sensational breakout season last term with 35 starts, 11 goals and 10 assists in the Premier League. This earned him a call-up to England’s full Euro 2024 squad in Germany, though he eventually found that first team minutes under Gareth Southgate were hard to come by.