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Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand has hit out at Arsenal fans for their reaction to the club's pursuit of Chelsea ace Noni Madueke. The Gunners are closing in on the England international as they look to strengthen their squad ahead of the 2025-26 season.
Ferdinand took to X to share his thoughts on the 'vulgar behaviour' put out by a section of the Arsenal fans after learning of the deal for Madueke. He criticized the fans for how they have chosen to oppose the signing of the former PSV Eindhoven star, calling them out for bullying the youngster.
"Noni Madueke
For a Young 23 year old English footballer to be vilified, bullied, embarrassed and totally strip down at a time when you’re meant to be celebrating a transfer worth £55 million. Yes a young kid with a dream about to secure a £55 million dream move to a club of his desire leaving a rival at that to be treated in this manner via section of the Arsenal fan base is an utter disgrace. Just put yourself in his shoes for one minute just put yourself in his parents shoes for one minute and just think of how that feeling must be. I’ll say it again, at a time as a player as a human as a family you should be celebrating. I just hope the people that are closest to him are around him and supporting him in the way that he needs right now.
It’s fine for fans to disagree with signings or decisions made at their football club but the way some fans have publicly voiced their opinions and those who have gone a step further in publicly joining a petition for this player not to be signed by their football club is beyond me. I have never seen anything like this before, and I hope I don’t ever again. Like I said earlier just imagine this was your best friend, one of your family members, your brother, son…then tell me how would you feel if they were on the receiving end of this vulgar behaviour ???
By the way, This isn’t aimed at all Arsenal fans it’s just a small section who have become very loud unfortunately. I just hope the transfer goes through and Noni Madueke rams all of this negativity back down the throats of these impostors.
Whatever happens from here good luck Noni."
A section of the Arsenal fans filed an online petition against the signing of Madueke, with the petition garnering over 4,000 signatures. Social media platform X has also seen #NoToMadueke gain traction in the days since the deal was reported. Similarly, murals outside the Emirates Stadium have been defaced with 'Arteta Out' as the fans are not in support of the signing.
Madueke has agreed on personal terms with the Gunners for a deal that will keep him at the Emirates until 2030. He will cost in the region of £52 million and has already travelled back to the UK from the USA, where he was part of the Chelsea squad that played in the FIFA Club World Cup.
Chelsea dealt blow as Arsenal star closes in on new deal: Reports
Chelsea have been dealt a blow in their pursuit of Arsenal ace Ethan Nwaneri as the teenager is close to a new deal, as per reports. The Blues were lurking with intent as the youngster stalled on a new deal in the hopes of snapping him up this summer.
Fabrizio Romano reports that Mikel Arteta's side have worked hard to convince the 18-year-old England U-21 international of his pathway at the club. Their discussions have been productive, and they hope to announce an agreement for the youngster soon.
Enzo Maresca's side were looking to make a move for the youngster, whose present contract is set to expire at the end of the 2025-26 season. It appears now that he will follow in the footsteps of fellow teenager Myles Lewis-Skelly in signing a new deal.
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Sulayman Salahudeen
Sulayman is a European and international football writer at Sportskeeda covering news and transfer rumors. He has an overall experience of 4 years, having previously worked at the likes of SportsRation and ExtraTimeTalk. His tryst with the sport happened at a young age, playing it at home and watching the 2002 FIFA World Cup.
Sulayman has a good feel for the game, which is reflected in his descriptive articles. He double checks information via multiple sources for accuracy, and only uses top-tier platforms like Transfermarkt and Opta for statistical information. His experience and exploits in the industry have led Sulayman to cover the Nigerian Professional League for three years along with games involving the Nigerian national team. He has also worked in F1, joining hands with industry veterans to provide a smooth viewing experience in Nigeria.
Sulayman hails Lionel Messi as the one true GOAT, and his brace in Argentina’s 2005 U20 FIFA World Cup final win over Nigeria left a lasting impact on him. He also supports Chelsea at club level, having followed their dominance under Jose Mourinho. Sulayman also follows other leagues with Nigerian players like Eredivisie, Saudi Pro League, Turkish Super Lig, and more. When not writing, he enjoys cooking and eating.
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