Arsenal forward Noni Madueke has been officially reclassified as a ‘homegrown’ player by the Premier League, according to a confirmation from the league to The Athletic. The 23-year-old, who transferred to Arsenal from Chelsea last week for a fee of £48.5 million (approximately $62.3 million), was previously categorized as a non-homegrown player while at Chelsea.
This change in classification comes after a request was made to the Premier League before the conclusion of the 2024-25 season. With this reclassification, Madueke will not count against Arsenal’s limit of 17 non-homegrown players allowed in their 25-man Premier League squad.
Premier League regulations stipulate that a player is considered homegrown if they have been registered with the Football Association or the FA of Wales for three full seasons prior to the end of the season in which they turn 21. Madueke moved to Dutch club PSV Eindhoven from Tottenham Hotspur at the age of 16 in 2018, remaining there until January 2023, when he joined Chelsea just two months before his 21st birthday.
Interestingly, while Madueke did not make any first-team appearances for Tottenham, the Premier League has confirmed that his time in the club’s youth setup satisfies the requirements for homegrown status. This clarification addresses a discrepancy that arose regarding his classification when he was registered as a non-homegrown player for most of the previous season at Stamford Bridge.
As Arsenal prepares for the upcoming season, the club must also navigate UEFA regulations. Competing in the 2025-26 Champions League, Arsenal is required to submit two squad lists to UEFA: List A, which includes the main squad, and List B, which consists of players born on or after January 1, 2004, who have been eligible to play for the club for an uninterrupted period of two years after turning 15.
Under UEFA rules, a minimum of eight players on List A must be deemed “locally trained,” which is defined as players trained by their club or another club within the same national association for at least three years between the ages of 15 and 21. Due to his time spent in the Netherlands, Madueke will not qualify as one of the eight locally trained players for UEFA competitions.
As Arsenal integrates Madueke into their squad, the implications of his reclassification will impact the team’s roster strategy and flexibility in both domestic and European competitions. The club’s fans will be eager to see how the young forward contributes to their ambitions in the upcoming season.
