Gary Neville's most recent Noni Madueke comparison will shock Arsenal fans

Madueke, the 23-year-old winger, just joined Arsenal this summer in a £48.5m move from Chelsea, signing a five-year contract after two seasons at Stamford Bridge.

Gary Neville has been monitoring the young winger’s development closely, and after Madueke’s most recent game for England, Neville made a comparison which will certainly shock many Arsenal fans.

The former Manchester United defender and current football pundit was speaking on “The Gary Neville Podcast” for Sky Sports when bringing up Madueke’s performance for England in a 5–0 victory over Serbia.

Madueke scored his first international goal, but Neville shone a light on how impressive Madueke’s direct running and movement were, particularly the manner in which he caused threats from wide positions.

Gary Neville’s surprising comparison of Madueke to Arjen Robben

Neville’s exact words were:

“A couple of runs he made for England on Tuesday night were a different level, they were runs I thought ‘Arjen Robben used to make those runs against me’. I’m giving you players of a level where you think, ‘I’m up against it, this is a different type of player’. Sometimes you play against a winger and they’re dribbling at you, and you know they’ve got a trick and you know that you’re going to be in for a different game, then you’ve got players who are a step above, a level above. 

Then he added:

I’m not saying Madueke is there yet, but his movement and the things that he’s doing are very, very good, and I’m talking from a full-back’s perspective playing against it.”

The comparison to Arjen Robben is bold. Neville played against Robben many times during his career, and the Dutchman’s trademark of cutting inside made him one of the hardest opponents for any full-back to defend against. 

By mentioning Madueke in the same sentence, Neville was showing how dangerous the Arsenal winger looked during his international performance, while still making sure to highlight that he still has a long way to go.

For the Gunners, the comment is interesting in part due to the context that he transferred from Chelsea, and there was some scepticism about the transfer fee and Madueke’s inconsistency and discipline. But if he starts to replicate his early impact at the International level, Arsenal may have an important player in attack. 

A player who can run at defenders and create space in play is an additional option for Mikel Arteta to use alongside players like Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli up front, which adds more depth and unpredictability to the attacking third.

Neville’s comments also suggest the potential heights Madueke could reach. At 23, he’s entering a pivotal stage in his career, where consistency and sharper decision-making will determine how far he goes.

If he can take confidence from scoring his first England goal and carry that forward into the Premier League then Arsenal’s big outlay on him might soon look like money well spent!

READ MORE ARSENAL NEWS HERE: