Arsenal are strong favourites to sign Noni Madueke from Chelsea this summer but he will not leave Stamford Bridge on the cheap.
Madueke, 23, was a first-team regular under Enzo Maresca last season. He featured in 32 of Chelsea's 38 Premier League games — starting in 27 of them — and produced seven goals and three assists.
However, with Liam Delap, Kendry Paez, Joao Pedro, Jamie Gittens and Estevao Willian all arriving ahead of the 2025-26 campaign, Chelsea are now oversubscribed in Madueke's position.
Personal terms between Arsenal and Madueke have reportedly already been agreed, with journalist Fabrizio Romano claiming that both parties have settled on a five-year contract until June 2030.
But Arsenal are yet to have an offer for Madueke formally accepted by Chelsea.
According to The Telegraph, Chelsea have set a minimum asking price of £50million and hope to get significantly more than that figure.
A transfer fee above £50m would deliver Chelsea a chunky profit on a player they paid £26m for when he joined from PSV Eindhoven in January 2023.
Madueke signed a seven-and-a-half-year contract upon his arrival at Stamford Bridge.
Arsenal have made no secret of their desire to recruit attacking reinforcements this summer and have also been linked with Sporting Lisbon goal machine Viktor Gyokeres and Rodrygo of Real Madrid.
The Gunners scored 69 Premier League goals last season — 22 fewer than in the 2023-24 campaign.
Madueke helped Chelsea win the UEFA Europa Conference League last season and he will be hoping to add the FIFA Club World Cup to his list of honours before he leaves.
Chelsea will play Fluminense in the semi-finals of the Club World Cup on Tuesday. The winners of that game will face Real Madrid or Paris Saint-Germain in the final.