Before his planned move across London, England international Noni Madueke might be assigned to a shirt number that hasn’t been very successful at Arsenal. According to reports, the Chelsea player has been granted permission to fly for his medical examination in advance of a purported £52 million move that would bring him to the Emirates.
By doing this, he will team up with and take on fellow Three Lions player Bukayo Saka, as Arteta seeks to bolster an already worn-out assault that has recently been hindered by injury problems. Madueke might have to take a number, though, as it hasn’t been productive in recent years.
Madueke Could Be Set to Take Number 10 Shirt at Arsenal
Number 10s have scored just 11 goals in last four years
Madueke has worn many different numbers during his career. At PSV, he began his professional career wearing the number 56 before changing to 23, which Mikel Merino presently wears. He briefly wore the number 31 when he moved to Chelsea, but for the most part, he played with the number 11, which is now owned by Gabriel Martinelli.
However, the 23-year-old may choose the number 10 after his move, which is available on the red side of North London and does correspond to Madueke. Madueke may get the chance to wear the well-known figure again at his new team after donning it during his final season at PSV.
Although wearing such a number is typically an honor, Arsenal has not had much luck with it recently. Emile Smith Rowe, who succeeded Mesut Ozil in 2021 but only managed 11 goals, was the most recent recipient. After battling injuries for some time, he was sent to Fulham in 2024.
Ozil’s tenure as the number 10 was likewise not very successful. When the World Cup champion switched from number 11 to number 10, he was nearing the conclusion of his tumultuous time with the club, having only contributed 13 goal involvements in 58 games over his two seasons there.
Rather, Madueke will be aiming to duplicate the success of Dutch icon Dennis Bergkamp, who enjoyed wearing the number far more while he was a member of the team.
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