Arsenal confirm £52m signing of Chelsea star in shock of the transfer window so far

Arsenal have finally confirmed the arrival of Noni Madueke from Chelsea, with the winger signing a five-year contract.

Madueke will wear the No.20 after completing a £52million switch that sees him go from west to north London.

The initial fee that Arsenal have paid rivals Chelsea for Madueke is believed to be around £48million.

His move to the Gunners finally sees him put pen to paper after weeks of speculation that he was set to head across the capital.

Madueke announced his departure from Stamford Bridge an hour before his new club officially confirmed the signing.

In a heartfelt message to Chelsea on social media, he wrote: “I want to thank you for the last three or so years. To every staff member that helped me along this journey, thank you.

“To my teammates, thank you for everything, I leave with only love and admiration for you guys. We achieved so much this season and I honestly wish you guys nothing but the best.

“To Enzo Maresca, it was a privilege to play under you, thank you for trying to better me as a player and as a person.

“Lastly, thank you to every single Chelsea fan. Thank you for the love, the praise and also the criticism, I appreciate it all. I leave here with nothing but fond memories.”

Madueke then spoke about his decision to join Arsenal in his announcement on Friday, saying: “I’m somebody who goes with my gut feeling a lot of the time and I feel like it’s steered me in the right direction so far.

“So, I don’t think it’s going to be any different here. I think it’s going to be a great success and I’m really happy to be here.

“I’ve just been relaxed, waiting for the green light and when I came in today, it all felt real. I’m really happy and really proud, so it’s a great moment for me. It’s great to go back home, be with my mum, my dad. I know my mum misses me in the house!”

On his aims for the season, he added: “To win all the competitions we’re in, I feel like we’re definitely capable of doing that.

“And also to help the team in every way I can and grow as a player, but also as a person.”

It was reported at the start of the month that the 23-year-old had agreed personal terms with the Gunners and was waiting for the green light from Chelsea to undergo his medical.

The forward was then missing from the Blues squad that won the Club World Cup with victory over Paris Saint-Germain on Sunday.

Enzo Maresca’s side thrashed the Champions League winners 3-0 in the final, but Madueke was nowhere to be seen, as he headed home to finalise his move to Arsenal.

His last appearance for Chelsea came in a 22-minute cameo off the bench against Fluminense in the semi-finals.

The Blues secured a 2-0 victory over the Brazilian side thanks to a double on his debut from summer signing João Pedro.

And it appears that the ex-Brighton striker’s arrival, along with those of Liam Delap and Jamie Gittens, led Madueke to reconsider his future at Stamford Bridge after two years in west London.

With Chelsea spending around £170m on recruitment this summer, they also needed to offload players to balance the books.

Maudeke joined the Blues from Dutch side PSV Eindhoven in 2023 and has five years remaining on his current deal.

Last season saw Madueke make 41 appearances for Enzo Maresca’s side, scoring 11 goals and providing five assists.

He first emerged as a surprise candidate to become Arsenal’s fourth signing of the summer in June.

And Madueke has now become the second player to move to the Gunners from Chelsea during this transfer window.

Kepa Arrizabalaga has already made the switch across the capital to provide competition for David Raya in goal.

Meanwhile, Martin Zubimendi finally completed his long-awaited move from Real Sociedad.

And Christian Norgaard has also arrived in north London, with Arsenal announcing that transfer last week.

The Danish midfielder joined from Brentford in a deal worth an initial £10m plus a further £5m in add-ons.

Mikel Arteta also remains in the market for further attacking additions.

Viktor Gyokeres is understood to have agreed on personal terms on a five-year deal.

The ongoing saga has been a difficult one for Gyokeres and the Gunners, but the move is expected to be completed soon.

The Swedish striker has scored 97 goals in 102 appearances for Sporting since signing from Coventry in 2023.

Arsenal’s new additions could make their debuts against AC Milan in Singapore on July 23 as the club kicks off their pre-season campaign.