Chelsea have completed the £29m signing of PSV Eindhoven winger Noni Madueke; the 20-year-old was a part of Tottenham's academy before moving to Holland; the Blues' winter spending has now reached £190m; Madueke has signed a seven-and-a-half-year contract at Stamford Bridge
Saturday 21 January 2023 09:33, UK
Chelsea have completed the £29m signing of PSV Eindhoven winger Noni Madueke, who becomes their sixth January signing and takes their spending to £190.2m.
The 20-year-old has signed a seven-and-a-half-year contract, with a club option to extend for a further year.
The England youth international, who came through the ranks at Crystal Palace and Tottenham, departs PSV after four-and-a-half-years at the Dutch club where he scored 21 goals in 77 appearances.
Madueke's arrival continues a busy January for the Blues following deals for Mykhailo Mudryk, David Fofana, Andrey Santos and Benoit Badiashile, plus the loan signing of Joao Felix.
Madueke told the club's official website: "I'm really pleased to sign with one of the best clubs in the world in Chelsea.
"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."
Chelsea chairman Todd Boehly and co-controlling owner Behdad Eghbali said: "We're delighted to bring Noni to Chelsea.
"He's an exciting talent who has proven his quality over the past few years with PSV, playing in a strong European league, and we are thrilled he has chosen to join Chelsea for this next stage of his career.
"We are sure he will form an important part of our team."
What can Premier League audiences expect from Madueke? Let's leave it to the young man himself to explain. "I am a bit of a showman," he told Sky Sports in April. "I try to beat players. I am fast. I have an eye for goal. That is how I would describe myself."
During that interview, he explained the reasoning behind his PSV move. "I have been in a first-team environment since I was 17. I don't think there is any way I would have experienced first-team football at that age in England. It just felt like the right next step."
Madueke has developed significantly in the Netherlands, having experienced playing alongside Mario Gotze and being coached by Roger Schmidt and Ruud van Nistelrooy. He describes his game as "a bit more polished" than when he first arrived.
"When you are 18 coming into the first team you are a bit raw. I am probably a more decisive player than I was two years ago. My biggest strengths are still my speed and my dribbling but I would say that my end product is good as well now."
Chelsea's January spending has risen to £190m now the Madueke signing has been completed.
Here are the deals the Blues have made:
Chelsea have now spent around £460m since Todd Boehly became the new owner of the club, having spent £270m in the summer transfer window.
Madueke's arrival means that Chelsea now have 10 forwards on their books, with a little over 10 days remaining in the transfer window.
The figure includes new signings Fofana, Mudryk, Felix and Madueke, with summer signings Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Raheem Sterling also making up the list.
Out of the 10 forwards currently in Chelsea's squad, only three - Hakim Ziyech, Christian Pulisic and Kai Havertz - were at the club last season. Meanwhile, Chelsea also have Romelu Lukaku and Callum Hudson-Odoi out on loan at Inter Milan and Bayer Leverkusen respectively.
Chelsea's 10 players capable of playing in the front three is twice as many as Premier League champions Manchester City, and four more than current top-flight leaders Arsenal.
Out of the 'Big Six' teams, Liverpool are the next-highest club with the most amount of forwards with eight, though Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota are long-term absentees with injury.
Here is the list of Chelsea's forwards:
Chelsea also have youngsters Omari Hutchinson and Lewis Hall also at the club, who could play in the front three.
Who will be on the move this winter? The January transfer window closes at 11pm in England and at midnight in Scotland on Tuesday January 31, 2023.
Keep up-to-date with all the latest transfer news and rumours in our dedicated Transfer Centre blog on Sky Sports' digital platforms. You can also catch up with the ins, outs and analysis on Sky Sports News.
