---
title: "Exclusive: Graham Roberts doubts Spurs will return for former academy product Noni Madueke"
canonical: "https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/exclusive-graham-roberts-doubts-spurs-will-return-for-former-academy-product-noni-madueke-e261/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Danny Rust"
section: "Exclusive"
published: "2021-09-02T16:34:57Z"
modified: "2021-09-02T16:34:57Z"
---

# Exclusive: Graham Roberts doubts Spurs will return for former academy product Noni Madueke

**Club legend Graham Roberts reckons Tottenham Hotspur failed to make a late move for Noni Madueke because they were not willing to fork out a large fee for a former academy product.**

Madueke has caught the eye of [numerous clubs](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-9909071/PSV-starlet-Noni-Madueke-watched-host-Europes-clubs-Champions-League-qualifier.html) during the early weeks of the new season, with Spurs, Manchester United and Bayern Munich among his admirers.

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The 19-year-old came through the ranks at Spurs and Dutch giants PSV Eindhoven, Madueke’s current employers, [reportedly](https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/tottenham-transfer-news-noni-madueke-24809339) told the north Londoners it would cost £40million to seal his return just two years after leaving for free.

Madueke, who has already been [capped](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/noni-madueke/nationalmannschaft/spieler/503987/verein_id/9565) at England under-21 level, has made a flying start to the new campaign and scored [six goals](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/noni-madueke/leistungsdaten/spieler/503987) in 10 outings.

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Spurs’ London rivals Chelsea forked out a [club-record](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/58111490) £97.5million to seal Romelu Lukaku’s return to Stamford Bridge during the transfer window, but Roberts believes Spurs were unwilling to follow suit and part with a huge fee for their former winger.

Roberts exclusively told The Transfer Tavern: *“Chelsea let Lukaku go and then paid £97.5million to get him back. I wasn’t 100 per cent sure on Madueke coming back.”*