Noni Madueke, the 22-year-old Chelsea player, has expressed his confidence in teammate Carney Chukwuemeka's potential to pose a significant challenge for Premier League teams in the upcoming season.
Madueke transferred from PSV Eindhoven to Stamford Bridge in January 2023 and experienced an inconsistent first full season with the club. Despite this, he concluded the season on a high note, scoring three goals and providing two assists in his last nine games.
Chukwuemeka had an unfortunate run with injuries during the past season, limiting him to just 12 appearances across all competitions for Chelsea. However, despite these setbacks, Madueke remains optimistic about his teammate’s future performance.
A vote of confidence for Chukwuemeka
Noni Madueke has known Carney Chukwuemeka since their England youth days and is confident that he will make a strong comeback once he regains fitness. He believes that Chukwuemeka will be a formidable force on the field next season.
Noni Madueke, Chelsea player, said:
‘Carney is the player I spend most time with, easily. I knew him through the England set-up,’ he said in an interview with Chelsea’s club website. We are just very similar, we get on really well. We like the same things and have the same type of personality, so it just clicks.
‘When he’s fully fit, he’s a problem for teams. So I can’t wait until next season for him to be fit from the start of the season and just show everyone what he can do.’
The end of the previous season was marked by unexpected changes within Chelsea’s coaching staff. The players were taken aback when head coach Mauricio Pochettino was dismissed following a meeting with the board.
New leadership under Enzo Maresca
In response to Pochettino’s departure, former Leicester City boss Enzo Maresca was appointed as his replacement. Despite these sudden changes within management, Madueke insists that team morale remains high as they prepare for their next campaign under new leadership.
Noni Madueke added:
‘I feel like our team unity is at an all-time high. We’ve definitely been through a lot, but there were definitely good moments throughout the season, and there were examples where in some moments we probably could have done a bit better,’
‘But I feel like that comes with a young team and growing together. There’s also an understanding that if we’re going to win together, we’re going to lose together. We need each other, for real. Right now it’s an all-time high and I hope it continues just like that.’
As we look forward to what promises to be an exciting new season, Madueke's endorsement of Chukwuemeka is a testament to the latter's potential. Despite his injury-plagued season, Chukwuemeka’s return to fitness and the pitch could be a game-changer for Chelsea in their upcoming Premier League 2024/25 campaign.
With new leadership under Maresca and promising players like Madueke and Chukwuemeka, Chelsea fans have much to look forward to in the next Premier League season.
