Arsenal are now willing to make a £39m offer for an “amazing” star who’s been likened to Lionel Messi, and they are looking to get the deal done in the January transfer window.
Gunners vying to sign another winger despite Madueke's impact
It would be fair to say there was probably an overreaction to Noni Madueke arriving from Chelsea in the summer, with a number of fans making it clear they were unhappy, even going as far as to make a petition and start a #NoToMadueke campaign on X.
However, the 23-year-old has already started to silence the doubters, with Gary Neville saying: “Madueke is a lot better than I imagined and thought he would be. And certainly a lot better than Arsenal fans thought he would be.
“A couple of runs that he made for England on Tuesday night were a different level, they’re runs I thought, ‘ooh’. They’re runs… Arjen Robben used to make those runs against me.”
The winger was particularly impressive in the 3-0 victory against Nottingham Forest earlier this month, staking a claim to be a regular starter by winning 10 duels and completing five dribbles throughout the match.
Given that Mikel Arteta also has Bukayo Saka at his disposal on the right wing, it arguably makes little sense to bring in another option on that side, but that is exactly what the Gunners are planning to do.
That is according to a report from Spain, which states Arsenal are now preparing a move for Real Sociedad star Takefusa Kubo, with the north Londoners looking to get a deal done in the January transfer window.
The Gunners are willing to make a €45m (£39m) bid for Kubo, with the report stating the winger could look to force an exit, given that he is unhappy with the Spanish club failing to reinforce the squad in the summer.
"Amazing" Kubo has been likened to Messi
Once lauded as “amazing” by scout Jacek Kulig, the Japanese winger has come on leaps and bounds since joining Real Sociedad in 2022, chipping in with 24 goals and 18 assists in 142 games for the La Liga side.
Not only that, but the 24-year-old has also been dubbed the ‘Japanese Messi’, which is perhaps the greatest compliment any player could receive, so there are signs he could be a success at the Emirates Stadium.
That said, there are some doubts over the Kawasaki-born star, given that he didn’t exactly set the world alight in La Liga last season, chipping in with five goals and zero assists across the campaign.
With that in mind, it would probably be best to avoid signing Kubo, particularly considering Arsenal really don’t need to sign another right-winger, having brought in Madueke as a back-up for Saka during the summer transfer window.
