Declan Rice backs ‘hungry’ Noni Madueke to ‘shock’ doubters after petition against his move from Chelsea to Arsenal
Noni Madueke said he is ready to “repay the faith shown in me” following his move to Arsenal from Chelsea. Some supporters are unhappy with the club’s transfer activity and even created a petition against the winger’s signing before his arrival. Declan Rice has come out in support of his England team-mate and expects him to flourish at his new club – saying Madueke will “shock” his doubters.
Declan Rice has defended his new team-mate Noni Madueke and backed him to thrive at Arsenal, despite some fans being opposed to his signing from Chelsea.
Madueke joined the club in a deal reported to be worth up to £52 million earlier in the transfer window.
However, leading up to the announcement, the hashtag #NoToMadueke was being used by some supporters on social media, while a petition against his signing received more than 5,000 signatures.
The petition argued that Arsenal’s transfer dealings are a sign of “moving two steps back” and urged the club’s bosses to “show some ambition and repay the fans the same way we’ve backed the club for the past two decades.”
However, Rice has leapt to the defence of Madueke.
Speaking after their pre-season win against AC Milan in Singapore, Rice said: “I know how driven he is.
“I’ve spoken to him and you’re going to see what he’s about this season. He wants to prove and show everyone what he really can do.
“He’s hungry, he wants to play for Arsenal and that’s the type of player we want. It’s so positive.
“He’s going to shock a lot of people and I can’t wait for him to come.
“People have been speaking internally – the players, the staff. We know the player that we’re getting and we’re really looking forward to having him at our club. It’s going to be really exciting.”
Madueke is not with the squad in Singapore, having been afforded a period of rest after being involved with Chelsea at the FIFA Club World Cup right up to the final of the competition.
That means it is likely he will play in an Arsenal shirt for the first time when they play Villarreal in a pre-season friendly at Emirates Stadium on Wednesday, August 6.
As well as bolstering their wide options, Rice is certain Madueke will bring the skill required to push Mikel Arteta’s side forward.
“When you’re an attacking player and in your mind the first thought you have is to go past your defender, that’s an unbelievable trait to have,” the midfielder said.
“He’s going to bring that to the squad along with the other wingers we have. Let’s be real – last year we hardly had any depth in any areas.
“We played half the season pretty much with so many injuries, so to now be able to rotate and push in different competitions with different players is going to be really, really good. That’s key for us.”
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