Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca and club officials have allegedly been left impressed by the development of Noni Madueke.
Since arriving from PSV Eindhoven in January 2023, the winger has spent periods in and out of the starting lineup under different head coaches.
Although he established himself as a key player during the back end of Mauricio Pochettino's reign, there was uncertainty as to whether that would remain the case under Maresca.
With the summer transfer window having now closed, it has since become apparent that the Italian has a preference for possessing a wide array of options in wide areas.
Madueke effectively has six rivals for two positions in the Chelsea starting lineup, putting him at risk of spells being spent on the substitutes' bench.
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Madueke's stock on the rise
However, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, the 22-year-old reputation behind the scenes at Chelsea has risen to such an extent where he is now regarded as "untouchable".
Maresca and club officials have reportedly been left impressed with how the newly-capped England international has changed his mentality and adapted to the demands of his new boss.
There had been speculation that Newcastle United were keen on his signature during the off-season, yet Romano has claimed that Chelsea wasted little time in issuing a hands-off warning.
Speaking to CaughtOffside, Romano said: "There were a lot of stories about Noni Madueke's future at Chelsea this summer, and it's true that there was at one point a moment when the Blues considered selling Madueke. They never considered a loan or that kind of solution, but in case of receiving an important proposal, it was a possibility for them to sell the player.
"That was at the end of June, and it came during that period you may remember when there was some confusion with Financial Fair Play and we saw Newcastle and other clubs trying some swap deals around England to make the FFP rules work for them.
"So, at that point Madueke was one of the main targets for Newcastle. Then what happened? After that, Chelsea saw how special Madueke was in training and in official games under Enzo Maresca. There is the feeling inside Chelsea that Maresca and his staff have been able to change the mindset of Madueke – it's something they've been working on in training and you can see it already in official games."
Romano went on to add that Newcastle never made a bid for Madueke and that Chelsea have since rendered Madueke "untouchable" if any other interest materialises.
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How has Madueke fared this season?
Curiously, Maresca did not use Madueke against Manchester City on the opening weekend of the season, nor did he start the first leg of the Europa Conference League playoff versus Servette four days later.
However, he would score in that game and follow it with a second-half hat-trick against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League.
Although he has failed to contribute in the next three games, there is a feeling that he is now first choice on the right flank.
Darren Plant
