Arsenal Firm on Noni Madueke's January Future

Arsenal have shut the door on any January exit for Noni Madueke, with Mikel Arteta determined to keep the winger at the Emirates despite his bit-part role in the league so far.

Arteta still sees the 24-year-old as an important piece of his squad, even if the Premier League minutes simply haven’t been there. According to Football Insider, Arsenal are ready to knock back all winter approaches for the forward, no matter how restless things become for the player behind the scenes.

This is about depth. And timing.

Arteta does not want to lose a senior attacking option halfway through a season that will stretch his squad across four competitions. Madueke remains in his immediate plans, not on any for-sale list.

That stance comes as speculation around Madueke’s long-term future grows louder. His lack of league action has alerted clubs across Europe, with Juventus and Atletico Madrid both tracking his situation and registering serious interest.

Juventus, in particular, are said to be exploring a loan move in January to boost their attacking options. On paper, it makes sense: a talented winger short on minutes, a giant in need of fresh energy out wide. In reality, it is unlikely to happen. Arsenal do not want to sanction it, and the player is not pushing for the exit.

Madueke is understood to be committed to making his Arsenal career work. He is prepared to stay, fight for his place and try to force his way into Arteta’s starting XI rather than look for a quick fix elsewhere.

His problem is brutally simple. The right flank belongs to Bukayo Saka. The England star is the undisputed first choice, a mainstay in Arteta’s system. Behind him, highly rated teenager Max Dowman is also pushing hard, adding another layer of competition that has squeezed Madueke’s opportunities.

The numbers tell the story. Just 24 minutes of Premier League football this season, spread across two substitute appearances. No goals. No assists. For a 24-year-old forward trying to establish himself at the top level, that is a thin return.

Cup competitions have offered a very different stage. Madueke started in the Community Shield, featured in a Champions League win over Napoli and found the net in Arsenal’s 4-2 Carabao Cup victory against Ipswich Town. When given the platform, he has shown there is still plenty there.

Yet the lack of consistent league action has already carried a cost. Thomas Tuchel left Madueke out of his latest England Nations League squad, with concerns over his match sharpness and regular game time counting heavily against him.

All of which makes the coming winter stretch critical. Fixtures will stack up, rotations will become unavoidable and chances will finally arrive for those on the fringes. Madueke has to turn those minutes—likely in domestic cups and Europe—into something Arteta cannot ignore.