Arsenal transfer news: Juventus and Atletico Madrid in tug of war for £48m substitute

Noni Madueke has barely managed to turn his second season at Arsenal into a run of opportunities and is already starting to attract interest from other European clubs.

According to the Telegraph, Atletico Madrid and Juventus are among the teams following the English forward's situation and could consider a move in the January transfer window.

The possibility of an exit, initially on loan, is directly related to the lack of space Madueke has found in Mikel Arteta's team. At 24, the player has not yet started a Premier League match this season.

Madueke joined Arsenal in the summer of 2025 as a significant signing. The club initially paid Chelsea £48.5m for the forward, in a deal that could reach £52m with add-ons.

Atletico Madrid and Juventus monitoring Madueke situation

Madueke was signed by Arsenal to increase their options out wide and, above all, to offer an alternative to Bukayo Saka.

Now, according to the Telegraph, Juventus and Atletico Madrid are among Madueke's admirers and could try to take advantage of the player's situation in London. The expectation is that other interested parties will emerge by January if the forward continues to receive few minutes.

The idea of a loan would allow Madueke to regain a leading role without Arsenal having to part permanently with a player in whom they invested a large sum. At the same time, a move to a Champions League club would not necessarily mean an automatic place among the starters.

Both Atletico Madrid and Juventus have important players for the positions in which Madueke plays. The Englishman could find more minutes and a more significant role, but would still have to compete for space to establish himself as a regular starter. The main advantage would be the possibility of entering a rotation more frequently and regaining rhythm and confidence.

Arsenal, on the other hand, are going through a period in which a possible departure also needs to be analysed carefully.

Christos Tzolis, signed to strengthen the attack this season, suffered a muscle injury while with the Greek national team and returned to London to be assessed. Kai Havertz is also out with a muscle problem. The situation has increased Arteta's concerns about the availability of attacking players.

This makes January delicate: Arsenal may consider that Madueke needs to play more, but they may also need precisely the depth that the Englishman offers.

Madueke started for England at the World Cup

The situation at Arsenal contrasts even more with what happened to Madueke with the England national team. Thomas Tuchel took him to the 2026 World Cup and even played him as a starter, in place of Saka, his direct rival at Arsenal. Madueke finished the World Cup with five appearances for England.

The player who was considered important enough by Tuchel to start a World Cup quarter-final match today cannot secure a place among the starters at his club in the Premier League. Part of the explanation lies in the competition itself.

Saka remains Arteta's first choice on the right, while Arsenal have other alternatives for the remaining attacking positions. Even so, Madueke has shown that he can be important when given an opportunity. Last season, for example, he was handed a late start against Leeds after Saka felt a problem in the warm-up and was directly involved in the first two goals in the 4-0 win.

Now, the challenge is to find more moments like that. For Arsenal, the question will be to decide whether it is more worthwhile to keep an expensive player as a squad option amid physical problems in attack or to allow Madueke to seek minutes at another club.

For Atletico Madrid and Juventus, the situation represents the chance to sign on loan a forward who, despite not having established himself as a starter in London, continues to be valued by the England national team.