Arsenal’s unexpected £52m swoop for Chelsea winger Noni Madueke is quickly becoming one of the most talked-about moves of the summer. Despite his promise, boasting pace, flair, and experience with England’s senior squad, many fans remain unconvinced.
According to Softfootball sources, Arsenal finalised the deal to sign the winger for £52 million. Despite the move appearing to be a strategic signing to bolster the Gunners’ attacking depth, Arsenal fans are visibly outraged and have not held back in voicing their dissatisfaction.
Thousands of Gunners supporters have already submitted a petition titled #NoToMadueke, which amassed over 4,000 signatures within the first few hours of its launch on Wednesday. The outrage has shown no signs of slowing down.
Arsenal have signed six players from Chelsea in recent years, and Madueke’s arrival marks the second signing from their London rivals this season following the earlier announcement of the Gunners securing goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga.
Many fans view Madueke as nothing more than a backup option, lacking the quality to displace the club’s current wingers. For a player considered a second-choice option, the reported £52 million price tag has sparked fury among supporters, many of whom believe there were better and more competitive alternatives available.
The protest has even spilt over to fans demanding that Mikel Arteta be sent out of the club, as some fans are even pushing the #Artetaout hashtag alongside the #NoToMadueke campaign.
Supporters have publicly questioned Arsenal’s transfer strategy, and we’ll highlight some of the strongest reactions under the viral hashtag #NoToMadueke on X (formerly Twitter).
A frustrated fan, @Enzo_ak619, voiced his anger over the deal, suggesting that if things go wrong, Arteta’s legacy will be mocked:
“If Arteta gets sacked, he’ll only be remembered for buying Chelsea rejects.” #NoToMadueke
Another fan, @PeratoN_Senior, questioned Arsenal’s priorities in the transfer market:
“Arteta and Berta want to pay 60M for this but can’t add 5M to finalize the Viktor Gyökeres deal. Is Arsenal cursed or meant to torture us forever⁉️”
A more practical suggestion came from @ur_guy_chill, who questioned the necessity of the signing:
“I’d rather have Martinelli as Saka’s backup and sign a top-class LW than signing Madueke.”
I'd rather have Martinelli as Saka's backup and sign a top class LW than signing Madueke #NoToMadueke pic.twitter.com/Cwtn6o78i5
— Arsenal It's (@ur_guy_chill) July 9, 2025The dissatisfaction has been overwhelming. SoftFootball also reported that former Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand publicly criticised Arsenal fans for the vulgar behaviour they’ve displayed in reacting to Madueke’s signing.
Now cleared to leave the U.S. to undergo medicals in London, Noni Madueke is well aware he has a lot to prove if he hopes to win over a clearly discontented Arsenal fanbase.
