Marc Cucurella agrees that the timing of Noni Madueke's move from Chelsea to London rivals Arsenal was "strange".

• Madueke swaps Chelsea for Arsenal
• Cucurella asked about "strange" decision
• Winger missed "good opportunity" at CWC

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Before the winger signed for Arsenal in a £52 million (€60m/$69.9m) deal earlier this month, Madueke left Chelsea towards the tail end of their Club World Cup campaign – which ended in them winning the tournament. Now, former Blues team-mate Cucurella has reacted to the 23-year-old's decision to join the Gunners.

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  WHAT CUCURELLA SAID

  Cucurella was asked by if Madueke's decision to leave Chelsea during the Club World Cup was "strange", to which he replied: "Yes, I think so. I think he missed a good opportunity (although) he wasn’t playing as a starter. I do think it was because of everything that was happening regarding his future, and in the end, I think it could have delayed him a couple of days since he left a day early or something like that. It wouldn’t have cost him anything to wait for that next day. In the end, I think he missed a pretty good opportunity."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  As Cucurella alludes to, Madueke was not always a regular for Chelsea at the Club World Cup, and the signing of Jamie Gittens may have limited his minutes next season, too. The wideman, who signed a five-year deal until 2030, may not always be a starter at Arsenal either, but in the end, both teams appear happy with this piece of business.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  While former PSV Eindhoven star Madueke can look forward to playing for Arsenal in the not-so-distant future, he is not part of their pre-season tour to Asia. The ex-Tottenham youngster is being given an extended time off after a long season.

Tags: Futebol
Category: News