Marc Cucurella agrees that the timing of Noni Madueke's move from Chelsea to London rivals Arsenal was "strange".
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ToggleBefore the winger signed for Arsenal in a £52 million (€60m/$69.9m) deal earlier this month, Madueke left Chelsea towards the tail end of their Club World Cup campaign – which ended in them winning the tournament. Now, former Blues team-mate Cucurella has reacted to the 23-year-old's decision to join the Gunners.
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Cucurella was asked by if Madueke's decision to leave Chelsea during the Club World Cup was "strange", to which he replied: "Yes, I think so. I think he missed a good opportunity (although) he wasn’t playing as a starter. I do think it was because of everything that was happening regarding his future, and in the end, I think it could have delayed him a couple of days since he left a day early or something like that. It wouldn’t have cost him anything to wait for that next day. In the end, I think he missed a pretty good opportunity."
As Cucurella alludes to, Madueke was not always a regular for Chelsea at the Club World Cup, and the signing of Jamie Gittens may have limited his minutes next season, too. The wideman, who signed a five-year deal until 2030, may not always be a starter at Arsenal either, but in the end, both teams appear happy with this piece of business.
While former PSV Eindhoven star Madueke can look forward to playing for Arsenal in the not-so-distant future, he is not part of their pre-season tour to Asia. The ex-Tottenham youngster is being given an extended time off after a long season.