MY ACCOUNT
England youngster Noni Madueke continues to make a name for himself in the Netherlands — and he could finally head back home this summer.
The PSV Eindhoven winger, 20, has established himself as one of the Eredivisie’s most exciting talents after moving there from Tottenham’s academy as a 16-year-old.
His exploits on the continent reportedly have Aston Villa and Leicester keeping a close eye ahead of a potential move back to the Premier League.
As his side prepare for the second leg of their Europa Conference League quarter-final with the Foxes on Thursday without their starlet — ruled out through injury — we look at what the London-born talent would bring to his potential new suitors.
Great entertainer
Madueke is the kind of player who looks to get fans off their seats every time he gets a touch.
A left-footed trickster on the right wing, PSV’s No10 loves nothing more than to cut inside and shoot or manoeuvre his way to the byeline before laying off to a team-mate.
It is his strength in both those areas, as well as his prowess with his weaker foot, that leaves his opposing defenders bamboozled over what he will do next.
Nine goals across all competitions during a campaign disrupted by injury shows his ability to contribute where it matters, managing a goal involvement every 143 minutes in the Eredivisie.
Madueke’s 2.3 dribbles per game ranks him fifth in the Netherlands’ top division and tells you that much of his game is about using his pace and trickery to beat a man.
But the 5ft 9in star has the physicality to match his undoubted talent, allowing him to occasionally feature as a striker for the Dutch outfit too.
Going Dutch
Madueke has been able to refine his skills since taking that brave step to move abroad in 2018.
After time spent impressing at Jong PSV — the club’s reserve team — his senior breakthrough came last season, when he managed seven goals in the Eredivisie.
His contributions are all the more impressive considering 17 of his 26 appearances came from the bench.
While always marked as a talent to watch with Crystal Palace and Spurs, the attacker has been able to add all-important end product to his game in the Netherlands.
Regarding his development on the continent, he said: “Two years on, I am a bit more polished in my game. That is the difference now.
“When you are 18 coming into the first team you are a bit raw. I am probably a more decisive player than I was two years ago.
“My biggest strengths are still my speed and my dribbling but I would say that my end product is good as well now.”
Eyeing a return
While grateful for the chance handed to him by the Eredivisie outfit, Madueke has made no secret of his grand ambitions to return to his birth country further down the line.
He recently earned his third and fourth England Under-21s caps against Andorra and Albania, before impressing in front of his potential new suitors at the King Power Stadium.
He was a standout player for Roger Schmidt’s side despite failing to find a way through the Foxes in the 0-0 draw, completing five dribbles and making one key pass during his 70 minutes on the field.
Prior to that quarter-final first leg, he said on a potential Premier League move: “I definitely want to play there next.
“Whether it is this summer or whenever it is, for now, I am focusing on the rest of the season. It is definitely an ambition of mine to play there.
“I have had a kick-start in my career by playing a lot of games at a young age. I feel like I will be ready for any step I take.”
Villa are the most recent Premier League team to be credited with an interest as Steven Gerrard looks to re-jig his ranks for next season.
Suited in style
It is easy to see how Madueke would suit either Leicester or Villa’s systems.
Brendan Rodgers favours the use of wingers in his side, with the likes of Harvey Barnes, Ademola Lookman and Marc Albrighton regularly featuring there this term.
With right-sided Albrighton now 32 and Rodgers reportedly planning a revamp of his squad, Madueke is potentially an exciting upgrade.
Meanwhile, Gerrard’s use of inverted wingers since arriving at Villa perfectly suits Madueke’s game too — the wide full-backs allowing him the freedom to cut inside and cause opponents problems on his left foot.
For all their attacking talent, creating chances for Ollie Watkins and Danny Ings have proved an issue this campaign. The pair’s respective expected goals tallies sit at just 0.33 and 0.3 in the Premier League.
Barnet-born Madueke may offer a more direct approach compared to the likes of Philippe Coutinho — should he remain at the club — and Emiliano Buendia, with injury issues having disrupted Leon Bailey’s first season in England.
Of course, PSV are set to go through some changes of their own this summer, with ex-Manchester United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy set to take over from current boss Schmidt.
That may attract the Englishman to stick around in the Netherlands for one more season, though he will not be short of options if he decides otherwise.
