Noni Madueke thinks one of his Chelsea teammates will be a problem next season (Picture: Getty)
Noni Madueke has backed Chelsea teammate Carney Chukwuemeka to be a ‘problem’ for Premier League opposition next season
Madueke, who moved to Stamford Bridge from PSV Eindhoven in January 2023, enjoyed a topsy-turvy first full season at the club.
However, the 22-year-old ended the season far more positively, notching up three goals and two assists in the last nine games.
Chukwuemeka, meanwhile, enjoyed a torrid season with injury, making just 12 appearances in all competitions for the Blues.
However, Madeueke has backed his teammate, who he has known since his England youth days, to bounce back emphatically once he regains his fitness.
‘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.
Madueke and Carney Chukwuemeka have known each other since their England youth days (Picture: Getty)
‘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.’
Despite their impressive end to the season, Chelsea players were left in shock when head coach Mauricio Pochettino was sacked after a meeting with the board.
Former Leicester City boss Enzo Maresca has since been brought in to replace the Argentine, with Madueke insisting the squad still have a strong bond as they look to continue their upward trajectory next campaign.
‘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,’ he added.
‘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.’
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