Chelsea are reportedly on the verge of finalizing the sale of one of their key players, delivering a surprising setback to Enzo Maresca.
The Italian manager took charge of Chelsea in June after departing from Leicester following just one season. During his tenure, he has primarily focused on bringing in new players.
- Manchester City set asking price for Chelsea to sign Julian Alvarez
- Chelsea beat Roma to surprise signing of Ligue 1 star
The most significant acquisition has been midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, who joined from Maresca’s former club Leicester for £30 million.
Some of these deals have been funded by player departures, with Chelsea selling left-back Ian Maatsen to Aston Villa for £37.5 million.
However, the Dutchman played a minimal role in Chelsea’s campaign last season and spent the latter half of the season on loan at Borussia Dortmund, where he reached the Champions League final.
Now, there are reports suggesting that Maresca might lose a genuine first-team player who has impressed during pre-season.
According to Football Insider, winger Noni Madueke has agreed on personal terms with Newcastle and is ‘most likely’ to join the club from their attacking transfer shortlist.
The 22-year-old was not a regular starter under Mauricio Pochettino last season but still managed to score five goals in 23 games.
He has reportedly impressed Maresca in training and started the first 45 minutes of Chelsea’s 2-2 draw with Wrexham on Wednesday as a right winger.
It is claimed that Chelsea would consider selling the Englishman if they could secure a profit on the £29 million fee they paid to sign Madueke from PSV in January 2023.
Newcastle views the winger as a ‘significant improvement’ over their current options, and there is uncertainty regarding the future of Miguel Almiron.
The Magpies’ only major transfer deal this summer has been with Chelsea, as left-back Lewis Hall joined the club for £28 million after an option in his loan contract from last season was triggered.
