Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand has come to the defence of Noni Madueke, saying that the treatment he has received from some Arsenal fans is an “utter disgrace”.
As the 23-year-old English footballer prepares to join the Gunners in a deal worth £55 million, he has been subjected to vilification, bullying, and embarrassment from a section of the Arsenal fan base.
“For a young 23-year-old English footballer to be vilified, bullied, embarrassed, and totally stripped down at a time when you’re meant to be celebrating a transfer worth £55 million… is an utter disgrace,” Ferdinand said on Metro.
“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.” He continued.
Ferdinand’s comments come after thousands of Arsenal fans signed an online petition opposing the signing of Madueke from Chelsea. The petition gained over 4,000 signatures since its creation last Wednesday.
The petition’s creator, Blaze Fifty, said, “Arsenal fans deserve better, we are so close to success and instead of capitalising on the squad we have it seems we are moving 2 steps back just like the 3 previous transfer windows. We can surely do better than Madueke & [Viktor] Gyokeres, show some ambition repay the fans the same way we’ve backed the club for the past 2 decades.”
Ferdinand expressed his shock at the way some fans have publicly voiced their opinions and even started a petition against Madueke’s signing.
“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,” he said. “I have never seen anything like this before, and I hope I don’t ever again.”
Rival fans are also taking the opportunity to poke fun at the Gunners’ fan base. “They could be anybody from any clubs,” one rival fan wrote on X. “Any genuine fan would back the clubs choices.” Another added, “This is the same team that have been crying for a backup for Bukayo [Saka] and then suddenly Madueke is not what you want, which top player will want to come and be a backup to Bukayo.”
On Noni Madueke’s involvement in Sunday’s Club World Cup final against Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca said, “I don’t have any doubts that if we need Noni, he will help us. I can understand when there is noise around you, it is difficult to deal with that.”
Ferdinand concluded by wishing Madueke good luck and hoping that the transfer goes through. “I just hope the transfer goes through and Noni Madueke rams all of this negativity back down the throats of these impostors,” he said. “Whatever happens from here, good luck Noni.”
