Frank Lampard’s previous praise of Noni Madueke may indicate that Chelsea have failed to get the very best out of the winger since his arrival in January 2023.
The 22-year-old joined the Blues on a seven-and-a-half year contract whilst Graham Potter was at their helm, signing from Eredivisie outfit PSV in a deal worth approximately £29million.
However, Madueke has yet to truly justify the faith that Chelsea showed when they offered him such a long-term contract – though he may not be solely to blame for his misfortune at Stamford Bridge so far.
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The England Under-21 international has shown glimpses of real talent in his 35 appearances for the club but found consistency hard to come by, with Chelsea’s impressive squad depth often seeing him rotated out of the starting eleven.
Enzo Maresca will be hoping that his arrival will see Madueke reach his potential at Chelsea, especially as Lampard has sung the praises of the No. 11 whilst he was Blues boss and hinted at his untapped potential.
Speaking in 2023, the former Derby boss said: “Noni’s a good example of an individual that in the first week of training was a clear talent but I wanted to see a bit more.
“I had that conversation with him and he showed me more and he’s come into the games and showed me his personality as much as his talent, to come in, in a tough moment, take the ball and show glimpses of his talent.”
Madueke has been heavily linked with Newcastle in recent weeks as the Magpies scour the market for a winger, but the forward will be keen to prove his worth under a new manager rather than considering where his future lies.
He will need to improve upon his figures of six goals and two assists in the Premier League if he is to remain in Maresca’s long-term plans though, especially if a new right-sided forward arrives at Stamford Bridge as expected.
Madueke recently revealed that he believes the change in manager, and therefore the system, could bring out the best in him and his teammates. Speaking whilst away on pre-season, he explained: “I feel good. New manager. New tactical ideas. It will take a little time to fully get that over to the boys but from what I’ve seen so far, it’s promising. It’s a different style of play but one I feel we’re well suited to.
“It’s about staying high and waiting for that killer pass when you can go and do real damage. It’s about being patient and waiting for the opportunity to run and do my stuff. That’s the discipline that the manager wants and if the manager wants that, then I’ll do it. Simple.”
