£29m star gives verdict on Chelsea becoming a ‘project club’

Noni Madueke reveals Chelsea’s ambition and how they are heading in right direction

Chelsea’s January signing Noni Madueke has given his verdict on the club’s long-term project. The youngster joined for £29 million from PSV Eindhoven alongside star names such as Mykhaylo Mudryk and Enzo Fernandez in the winter window.

Mauricio Pochettino is expected to start his Chelsea reign in the coming weeks, as he is set to help the club trim down its bloated squad and make other important signings.

Despite not getting enough game time, the 21-year-old showed flashes of his brilliance when he got minutes on the pitch. Madueke played in only 12 Premier League matches and registered a goal in the previous season.

The former PSV player, who has already proven his mettle in a few games, will be looking to see plenty of action under new manager Mauricio Pochettino next season.

Madueke revealed the club’s ambition during his exclusive interview with Chelsea, where he said:

‘The project here was something I was very aware of and something I thought was good. Chelsea has never really been a project club, just a winning club, but nowadays you can’t just win without a plan.”

What Madueke said is quite accurate: Chelsea are now embarking on a new course that will include the club starting again. It isn’t something that can be accomplished in a season’s time.

Chelsea’s recent history has only involved the hiring and dismissal of managers when they, under Roman Abramovich, failed to produce results. Only a handful of managers remained at Chelsea for a long period and were given the time to develop their strategies.

This will be extremely new for Chelsea supporters, and they will need to support Pochettino during the rebuilding process because it will take more than one season for Chelsea to return to a competitive level.

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The number of players we have signed who are close to the 20-year-old mark is astonishing. These players aren’t going to become world-class instantly – Madueke included.

We have to be patient and give some of them, Madueke including, a while before they can start to mature and become capable Premier League players. But that doesn’t mean the present has to be sacrificed. If Todd Boehly and co. can spend so much on our future, then they have to be smart enough to invest in a manner where we make some progress right now – be it gradual.