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Chelsea forward Noni Madueke has expressed confidence in his ability to bounce back from what has been a slow start to his time at the club.
The Blues signed Madueke from Eredivisie giants PSV Eindhoven for a transfer fee of around €35 million in January this year. He was part of the club's massive spending spree in the first two transfer windows after Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital took over last May.
However, the Englishman's start to life at Stamford Bridge has been far from smooth. Madueke played 12 Premier League matches in the second half of the 2022-23 season, but scored only one goal and laid out no assists.
This season, he has received just 43 minutes on the pitch across three league games, even missing two fixtures with a muscle injury. He started and scored in Chelsea's 2-1 win over AFC Wimbledon in the second round of the Carabao Cup.
However, he didn't make the squad for their 1-0 third-round victory against Brighton & Hove Albion.
In a recent interview, Madueke stated that he is backing himself to come good soon. The forward, 21, said (as quoted by @FabrizioRomano on X):
"I definitely back myself. It’s just a matter of time before things click. I’ve just got to get my head down and work hard, I’ve got the ability and talent to do well, I'm sure."
Prior to arriving at Chelsea, Madueke spent five years with PSV, rising through their age group teams after joining them from Tottenham Hotspur's U18 team in 2018. He recorded 20 goals and 14 assists in 80 appearances across competitions for the Dutch club's first team.
Chelsea's Noni Madueke has done well for England U21 during the September and October international breaks
Noni Madueke may not have had a great start to his Chelsea career, but he has shown glimpses of his talent. Those have been on show during the two international breaks this season, where he has starred for England's U21 side, as well.
The Young Lions have played two UEFA EURO U21 qualifiers so far. One each in September and October. In last month's match against Luxembourg U21, Madueke assisted Callum Doyle to help his side cruise to a 3-0 win.
He was excellent in their 9-1 mauling of Serbia U21 on Thursday, October 12, as well. Madueke scored England's fourth and fifth goals as they improved to two wins from two games.
The Chelsea man will hope to continue his good form when the Young Lions take on Ukraine U21 on Monday, October 16. A good display could help him get minutes when the Blues return to Premier League competition with a high-intensity home game against Arsenal five days later.
