Arsenal title winner Anders Limpar defends Noni Madueke after England international faces fan backlash for proposed transfer from Chelsea

Former title-winning Gunners winger Limpar has defended 23-year-old Madueke after the young England winger faced considerable backlash from sections of the Arsenal fanbase once reports of a £52 million (€60m/$69.7m) move from Chelsea being close to completion surfaced.

Criticism towards Madueke and Arsenal for the move was so strong that #NoToMadueke went viral on X, while a petition for the Gunners not to sign the former PSV Eindhoven man was signed over 4,000 times. While it is true that these were largely 'online fans' and not necessarily a true representation of the club, the idea that the Gunners are offering such a large sum of money to a London rival, for a player who may be largely used as back-up, has led to criticism.

Limpar said: "It’s never fun when a club signs a player and the fans are not happy with it. I think Noni Madueke is a good player. I think he can fit in Arsenal’s system. It’s just unfortunate to hear that some fans are against him and making his life difficult in a way. I don’t know the background about all the fuss from the fans. It can’t just be that he’s from Chelsea and going to Arsenal. I’m pretty sure of that. It’s sad when fans are making a player’s life difficult."

He added: "If you look at the big clubs: Arsenal, Liverpool, Man City and so on. They want a mega-squad. They want a squad where they can put on 22 players and everybody can play. That’s modern football. To hear about £50 million here, £60 million there, £70 million here, for some players who can’t even play, in my opinion. It’s ridiculous money. But that’s the way it is, in 2025.

"You always have to have backup for your big stars. It is up to Madueke if he can handle the pressure. He’s used to playing and he has to compete for a starting spot with Saka, who is one of the best players in the world. That’s not easy. Madueke has to be patient and take the chances he gets. Playing on the left side, we have Martinelli there, we have Trossard there, even Reiss Nelson. It’s hard for a player to come to a big club with big stars but when pre-season starts, you have to prove yourself to be a starter. It’s always been like that. It’s not set that he’ll be on the bench. He can work his way up to becoming a starter."

Limpar went on to cite Kai Havertz, a player who signed for Arsenal from Chelsea to considerable backlash and won fans over after a slow start, as an example for Madueke to follow. Madueke is no doubt a young man who believes in his ability and one would hope that this criticism will only light a fire within him to perform even better for his new club. The deal is set to be officially announced in the coming days.