'He's going to shock a lot of people' - Declan Rice launches passionate defence of Noni Madueke after winger arrives at Arsenal in £52m transfer from Chelsea

Madueke swapped Chelsea for London rivals Arsenal in a £52 million ($69.9m) deal earlier this month, but the move was not well received by many Gunners fans. However, Rice, who reportedly played a part in convincing the winger to head to the Emirates, thinks the 23-year-old can excel at Arsenal and gave a glowing review of his fellow England international.

When asked about the backlash Madueke received over joining Arsenal, Rice said: "I didn't like it, if I'm speaking honestly. But I know how driven he is. I've spoken to him and you're going to see what he's about this season. I think he's so driven and he's really, really proven. He wants to prove and show everyone what he really can do and I think you're going to see that. There's a hunger inside his belly. I think you see it, when he signed, he had like 10 or 11 people with him, the excitement, it's a good thing. He's hungry, he wants to play for Arsenal and that's the type of players we want. It's so positive. I think he's going to shock a lot of people and I can't wait for him to come. That's what I said in my letter and I really mean it because I really like him as a person."

When news of Madueke's impending Arsenal move broke, the hashtag #NoToMadueke trended on X, with some fans feeling a return of 13 goals and five assists in 67 Premier League games was not worth a £52m fee. Despite that, Gunners boss Mikel Arteta is excited by the former PSV Eindhoven man's acquisition as they seek to win their first Premier League title since 2004.

Madueke, who is not part of Arsenal's pre-season tour to Asia after his Club World Cup exploits for Chelsea earlier this summer, could make his full debut for the Gunners in their Premier League season opener against Manchester United on August 17.