Enzo Maresca Stresses Desire to Keep Chelsea Star, But Potential Sale Looms

Enzo Maresca is hopeful that Noni Madueke will stay at Chelsea, but acknowledges that the winger could potentially leave before the transfer window shuts.

Madueke came off the bench to score Chelsea’s second goal in their unconvincing 2-0 win over Swiss side Servette in the first leg of their Europa Conference League play-off at Stamford Bridge on Thursday night.

The England Under-21 international lashed home a superb effort from Enzo Fernandez’s through ball to hand Maresca his first win as Blues boss.

With eight days of the summer transfer window left, there is still plenty of business to be done at Chelsea with Raheem Sterling and Ben Chilwell set to leave the club after being told they are not part of the manager’s plans.

The arrivals of Joao Felix and Pedro Neto have ensured there is plenty of competition in wide positions with Madueke among the clutch of players battling for a first-team role.

Maresca has warned the former PSV Eindhoven star needs to start consistently performing in training but has high hopes for the winger.

But with so much uncertainty surrounding the make-up of the Blues squad, he was not able to guarantee he will still be at the club on September 1.

‘I really like Noni, the only problem with him is he has to understand he needs consistency during the week in every training session,’ Maresca said in his post-match press conference.

‘But he is a good player and he is doing well with us since we started.’

Asked if he wants the winger to stay, Maresca added: ‘Yes, absolutely. But the problem is, the reality is that until the transfer window is not open, anything can happen. But for sure, Noni is the type of player that I like.’

Chelsea head to Wolves on Sunday with Madueke hopeful his performance on Thursday will earn him a spot in the starting XI.

Asked if he has spoken to Madueke about rising competition for places in the team, Maresca added: ‘Yes, we have so many games at the end that if it’s not today it will be the next one, if it’s not the next one, it will be the other one.

‘We have so many games. The important thing is for Noni, I like him, he’s doing well since he started [training with us] the only thing he has to improve is to become consistent every day, every day, every day and work hard and then he will get minutes for sure.’

Madueke has been strongly linked with a move to Newcastle United in recent weeks.