Michael Olise vs. Noni Madueke: Who is the better winger?

The summer transfer window is heating up in West London.

Chelsea is proactively trying to complete their business before pre-season commences to equip Enzo Maresca with the tools to get to work.

The first transfer under the new manager is Tosin Adarabioyo, who was announced earlier today.

To Chelsea fans' delight, there are more incomings on their way.

The players Chelsea is interested in are plenty. Crysencio Summerville, Benjamin Šeško, and Julián Álvarez are among the discussed names. But one prospect who is gaining immense traction is Crystal Palace winger Michael Olise.

The Frenchman almost moved to Stamford Bridge last season before the deal surprisingly collapsed.

However, with Chelsea reigniting their interest, it might be a move that materializes this summer.

In this piece, The Pride of London will statistically compare Olise with another young right-winger who has already made West London his home, Noni Madueke.

Dribbling Potency

One of the foremost attributes evaluated of a winger is their ability to take on defenders one-versus-one.

With Maresca deploying a system that isolates his wingers in the flanks, dribbling proficiency will be a vital requirement for both wingers.

Regarding raw take-on output per 90', according to FBref, Madueke comes out on top for the volume of dribbles attempted.

At the same time, Olise edges the Englishman for efficiency - completing a higher percentage, albeit by a small margin.

Olise's propensity to protect the ball better is echoed by his lower dribbles tackled rate of 39.8% versus Madueke's 43%.

However, this does not say much about their proficiency in chance creation. So, let's dig into more advanced metrics.

Evaluating the Shot-Creating Action (SCA) statistic is useful in quantifying the different ways players create chances.

Hence, analyzing the SCA from take-ons helps specifically compute the chances produced from dribbling.

In this measure, Olise supplies the better numbers - indicating that he is a more threatening chance creator than Madueke from the flanks.

Therefore, Olise represents an upgrade.

Both, in terms of dribbling potency and ability to create chances through take-ons.

Passing Invention

Once the winger skips past a defender or holds the play, their capacity to pick a pass is crucial to unlock the low-block units.

To measure this aspect, we will analyze the passes into the final third (passes into the attacking third of the field) and key passes completed (passes that directly lead to a shot) to measure the volume of threatening passes completed.

According to the numbers, Olise is leaps and bounds ahead of Madueke - producing 54% more passes into the final third and 49% more key passes.

However, this could be due to fewer passing responsibilities delegated to Madueke by the manager, especially with Cole Palmer playing in the same zones.

Hence, let us also take a look at the percentage of passes into the final third that are key passes to examine the effectiveness of the final third passes completed.

Therefore, although the data indicates that Olise is superior with his passing, there is an argument to be made that Madueke could equal the output if he attempted more passes into the final third since their efficiency is roughly the same.

In conclusion, this remains a gray area despite the numbers favoring the Palace forward.

Finishing Expertise

Without a reliable goal-scoring striker, it is up to the wingers and midfielders to pitch in with goals.

So, there is a degree of finishing standard expected by Maresca in his wide forwards.

At face value, Olise immediately stands out, having posted double digits in goals last season. On the contrary, Madueke has not ever scored ten or more goals in a single campaign.

Nevertheless, let us dig into the weeds of their shooting data.

According to the raw numbers, Olise attempts more shots per game. Therefore, recording more shots on target.

As illustrated above, Madueke betters the Frenchman with the percentage of shots on target, but that does not mean that the quality of his shots is higher.

The non-penalty expected goals (npxG) per shot, which measures the likelihood of a shot becoming a goal, suggest that Olise takes better quality shots.

In terms of finishing efficiency, Olise proves superior again, having outperformed his xG by 4.3, while Madueke produced a satisfactory 2.3.

Again, this data needs to be taken with a pinch of salt, considering that, over their short careers, neither player has proved to be a consistent overachiever.

Nevertheless, Olise and Madueke proved capable of delivering fantastic goals last season.

The former's stunner against Luton Town in the league and the Englishman's curler against Leicester City in the FA Cup are suitable examples that elucidate their ability to generate a game-changing moment.

Therefore, Olise leads in the finishing department, producing better-quality shots and finishing performance over Madueke.

Tactical Compatibility

The demands for a right winger are fairly standard for positional play-based teams that try to generate one-versus-one situations on the flanks.

So, there is no need to worry about the tactical compatibility of Olise, as he fits seamlessly with the expected profile.

However, an interesting dimension that the Palace forward would add is the potential to rotate with Palmer in-game.

Palmer, Chelsea's star boy, is a menacing threat from central areas but can equally deliver when hovering to the right wing.

However, Madueke is not as adept when drifting in-field, although he has shown sparks of promise.

On the other hand, Olise has displayed his capacity to operate in tight central areas, especially during his Reading days.

These rotations could prove deadly for Maresca and allow for match-to-match and in-game tweaks that could provide immense upsides.

Injury Concerns

The capacity of both wingers to sustain their fitness for a season is a concerning matter.

Olise and Madueke disappoint in this area, as their injury history is not a pleasant sight for Chelsea fans.

Although Madueke only missed 21 days at West London, his record, according to Transfermarkt, his injury record at PSV Eindhoven is alarming, having been absent for nine months with various issues.

On the other hand, Olise's fitness since the 2022/23 season is also a concern.

Maresca would have to be in constant and close contact with the medical department to monitor both players if Chelsea were to sign Olise.

Alternating the two wingers weekly or even during matches could be a potential solution.

Nevertheless, it is a sensitive area that the club and manager would pay close attention to.

The Final Judgment

Olise provides an upgrade for Chelsea in the right-wing department.

As analyzed, he outperforms Madueke in dribbling proficiency, chance creation, and finishing.

Furthermore, Maresca can implement a fluid attacking system as Olise can operate adeptly in central zones.

Nevertheless, let this not derail the Blues supporters of Madueke's high potential.

The young Englishman, like most members of the Chelsea squad, has endured a rough initiation period.

However, flashes of brilliance, especially during the tail-end of the 2023/24 campaign, showcased his talent that brought him to Stamford Bridge.

However, Olise's arrival will test the youngster's mettle again, with intense competition for a spot in the team to be fought for week in and week out.

With another gem arriving next year in Estêvão Willian, this could be a make-or-break season for Madueke at Chelsea.

The same will also be the case for Olise, who will not walk into the team even if his arrival follows the payment of a hefty price tag.

Maresca will try to induce a competitive squad. Therefore, Olise would have to maintain his fitness and form to remain in the run-in for a starting position in the team every week.

Nevertheless, Olise's addition will undoubtedly brew a healthy rivalry that Chelsea can only benefit from.

If the Frenchman switches his London allegiance, Chelsea's right wing would be stacked with some of the brightest talents in the Premier League.