Foxes of Leicester
Fansided

Where three ideal signings fit into Leicester XI: Part 3, rightwing

By Dominic Wells

Noni Madueke of PSV Eindhoven (JEROEN PUTMANS, photo by ANP via Getty Images)
Noni Madueke of PSV Eindhoven (JEROEN PUTMANS, photo by ANP via Getty Images) /
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Ademola Lookman of Leicester City (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images) /

It’s also worth mentioning that Ademola Lookman isn’t a player I investigated for this position because if the converted Nigerian winger joined on a full-time basis, I don’t think it should block the pathway of another wide-player coming in. A rumoured fee of £15 million isn’t cheap but does give scope for extra resources to be utilised in the position—especially with sales across the squad. Alas, the options.

The first name that’s received a lot of traction is Chukwunoso Tristan Madueke (Noni Madueke), currently plying his trade in the Netherlands with PSV Eindhoven. After a fruitful career in the English youth systems, the Barnet-born winger decided that a move into central Europe would better his career—versus trying to puncture Tottenham Hotspurs’ starting XI. After two and half years in Eindhoven, where he’s established himself as a pivotal player in both Ernest Faber and Roger Schmidt’s systems. With Ruud Van Nistelrooy taking over, as the latter moves to Benfica, how will Madueke fit? Probably still crucial, but it could raise some concerns for the player.

Simply put, Madueke is a really good, stylistic fit. I think his output could improve (3 goals and 3 assists), especially with a dip since last season when compared with the 2020/2021 season (7 goals and 4 assists). I attest a lot of this to an injury-ridden season, missing a total of 141 days with “muscle injuries” (transfermarkt), translating to 23 matches. Finding consistency, when separate injuries (four) keep disturbing your season, is a difficult task—so, I personally won’t be judging the output too heavily.

After that, his dribbling, explosive carrying, and left-footed dominance (with the ability to utilise his right-side) make him the correct profile for what is required for the LCFC right-winger, and technically different from the potential starting RW (Maddison). My slight reservation is that the interest cooled after the two legs in the UEFA Conference League against PSV, which Rodgers stated was a chance to assess his qualities up-close—hinting that he’s got other options that fit better?