“He does better in that Arsenal team than Madueke” - Anton Ferdinand tells Gunners they should have signed 24-year-old Premier League star

Former Premier League centre-back Anton Ferdinand reckons Arsenal should have signed West Ham United's Mohammed Kudus, who was eventually snapped up by Tottenham Hotspur, rather than Noni Madueke.

As per The Athletic (via GMS), the Gunners have agreed personal terms with Madueke on a five-year deal and have initiated contact with the Blues for a potential transfer. Meanwhile, Spurs completed the signing of Kudus - who could have been an useful addition at the Emirates, as per Ferdinand - on a reported £55 million transfer.

Ferdinand said on GMS' Market Madness podcast:

"He'd be on fire in the Arsenal team. I think he does better in that Arsenal team than Madueke and players like that."

As per the aforementioned source, Mikel Arteta's side are contemplating a bid of around £45 million for Madueke, but the Blues reportedly want £10 million more. The England international has made nearly 100 appearances across competitions for the Stamford Bridge side, contributing 20 goals and nine assists.

Madueke is currently in action at the ongoing FIFA Club World Cup in the United States - making no goal contribution in four games - with the Blues to take on Paris Saint-Germain in the final on Sunday (July 13).

Arsenal 2024-25 Season Recap

Arsenal are coming off another season without major silverware as they finished second in the Premier League for the third straight season, this time finishing behind Liverpool after doing so behind Manchester City in the two campaigns prior.

Mikel Arteta's side also excelled in Europe, dismantling reigning UEFA Champions League winners Real Madrid 3-0 in the quarter-final first leg at home. The Gunners won 2-1 in the return at the Santiago Bernabeu to eliminate the Spanish giants.

However, Arteta's side's fairytale run was stopped by eventual winners PSG in the semi-final. After a narrow 1-0 win in the first leg at the Emirates, Luis Enrique's side triumphed 2-1 at home in the second leg to reach their second final, where they overwhelmed Inter Milan 5-0 to win their first Champions League title.

About the author

Bhargav is a veteran sports journalist and editor at Sportskeeda, with a rich professional experience of 17 years, working for the likes of Siemens and Bombay Dyeing. An avid football and tennis follower for over three decades, Bhargav uses his vast knowledge and experience, attention to detail, an unbiased yet interesting writing style, and thorough research to craft insightful articles, which have raked in over 20 million reads so far.

Bhargav supports Italy at national level, a team steeped in tradition and history according to him. He still harbors the heartbreak from the Azzurri’s 1994 FIFA World Cup final defeat against Brazil, and protagonist-turned-antagonist from the game, ‘Divine Ponytail’ Roberto Baggio is his all-time favorite player. His favorite manager is Marcelo Lippi, who ended Italy’s 24-year wait for the World Cup trophy, winning it in 2006.

Outside Europe’s top five leagues, he follows the MLS following Lionel Messi’s move in 2023 but favors Cristiano Ronaldo in the G.O.A.T. debate. During his free time, Bhargav enjoys driving off to new places and singing.

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Edited by Bhargav