Chelsea have been one of the biggest spenders in World Football since Todd Boehly took ownership of the club in May 2022.
Since then, the Blues have managed to accrue spending of £1bn on both transfer and loan fees with the hopes of challenging for the Premier League title. This has not yet made much of a difference, as they currently find themselves residing in 11th place.
Last season's results weren't much better either, as Graham Potter's men only managed to get as high as 12th despite massively overhauling their squad.
Although many put this down to the squad needing to gel, their recent performances have left a lot to be desired. For example, in their most recent clash against Aston Villa in the FA Cup, despite coming out on top, a few players could still face the axe ahead of their next clash on Monday evening.
One player in particular is Noni Madueke. The former PSV man joined the club in January 2023 for a fee worth around £29m but since then, he has been in and around the Blues' first-team squad and has played a total of 30 games whilst contributing to six goals.
These statistics aren't the most enthralling and showcase how far off the pace the winger is despite being with the club for over a year now.
Madueke's performance against Villa in numbers
Madueke started the game against Aston Villa but was taken off in the 75th minute. However, before he was taken off, he did manage to create the first goal for the Blues.
That said, according to Sofascore, despite being part of a front three, the winger didn't manage to have a single shot on target. Whereas, Cole Palmer, who was playing as a striker, managed two.
Despite receiving an 8/10 match rating courtesy of Goal, and having a decent game overall, Mauricio Pochettino may be forced to bench the youngster for the foreseeable future.
This is due to no fault of his own, however, the Argentine will be keeping an eye on Christopher Nkunku as he has now returned from injury.
Why Nkunku is likely to replace Madueke
Nkunku was the third-most expensive addition to Chelsea's squad this season, trailing only Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia.
The attacker had been heavily linked throughout the entirety of the 2022/23 season with a move to west London following an impressive outing in his final campaign for RB Leipzig.
Across all competitions last season, the France international managed to contribute to a total of 32 goals in just 36 games for the German side.
This was by far the attackers' most prolific season and, with his versatility of being able to play anywhere across the front three, he was an invaluable member of the squad.
It's this versatility which makes him an ideal replacement for Madueke, as he can interchange with his fellow attackers if and when needed. Additionally, now could be the ideal time to give the England international a rest as Nkunku has recently returned from injury.
Pivotally, despite playing 11 games fewer than Madueke, the 26-year-old only has three fewer goal contributions.
If he could manage to find his attacking prowess once more, he could become an invaluable member of Pochettino's squad. His addition to the side on Monday against Crystal Palace would also allow Palmer to move to his more natural position on either wing. It's a change the manager should be looking to make if he wants to beat the Eagles.
