Here are the top 5 things you probably didn’t know about Chelsea new signing Noni Mmadueke
Here are the top 5 things you probably didn’t know about Chelsea new signing Noni Mmadueke.
The new Chelsea man Noni Mmadueke is by every standard the spotlight for many Chelsea fans and a lot of people have been asking how he got scouted given that his name is not that Popular and we have gathered five very good things you didn’t know about this man until now;
🤤 Of the 317 players to have made 30+ appearances, Noni Madueke has the best mins per successful dribble return (every 22.4 mins) since the start of the 2020/21 Eredivisie season pic.twitter.com/V04yUWD2H1
— WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) January 20, 2023
He takes a lot of shots
Madueke’s natural position is generally playing off the right of the attack, who likes to cut inside and get a shot away. This season in the Eredivisie, he is averaging 5.5 shots per 90 across 278 minutes of action, which is the most of those to register at least 100 minutes of Eredivisie action. With Chelsea currently averaging just 11.6 shots per 90, the 11th most in the Premier League, Madueke would most certainly make for a welcome addition to their team.
He’s ever present in the box
Goals have also been hard to come by for Chelsea this season. They’ve only hit the back of the net 22 times in the 2022/23 Premier League campaign, after all, four fewer than relegation threatened Leeds. Madueke can help solve that issue simply by his presence in the attacking third of the pitch. He has averaged more touches in the opposition box (8.2) than any other player in the Eredivisie this season, and against Fortuna Sittard he registered 23 alone, which is the most in a single game.
He’s a top dribbler
A key part to his game is his ability to carry the ball forward, and this has seen him develop a statistically calculated WhoScored strength of ‘dribbling’, which the stats back up. Since the start of the 2020/21 season, of those players to make 30+ appearances in that time, he boasts the best minutes per successful dribble return (22.4) in the Eredivisie. Considering some of the players he betters, such as Cody Gakpo and Antony , it is a real testament to the quality of Madueke, who is still only 20.
He’s maximising his time on the pitch
Given his age, he hasn’t been a first team regular for PSV, but nevertheless, he most certainly maximises his time on the pitch. Since the start of the 2020/21 season, he is averaging a goal contribution every 121.5 minutes, which is a solid return considering his limited chances and inconsistency in keeping fit…
But he’s injury prone
However, the one big issue with the signing is that he is prone to injuries, which further explains why his presence on the pitch has been so limited. He has only started two of PSV’s 16 league games this season, missing the first ten through injury, and he was sidelined for a substantial chunk of the 2021/22 campaign. Though he may be one of Chelsea’s cheaper signings at around £30m, they will still want to get the most out of one of Europe’s brightest prospects.
