After fans start petition against Arsenal signing Noni Madueke from Chelsea, Sol Campbell demands explanation

Arsenal legend Sol Campbell has urged the club to explain their decision to sign Noni Madueke from Chelsea. The Gunners have reportedly reached a £52m agreement to sign the English forward from their local rivals, although the move is yet to be confirmed.

However, Arsenal fans aren't too pleased with the decision and have already started an online petition labelled #NOTOMADUEKE. The Gunners need a new left forward this summer, but the 23-year-old has operated mostly on the right for Chelsea so far.

Speaking to The Metro, Campbell insisted that fans are concerned about the player's fit in Mikel Arteta's setup at the Emirates.

“I’ve seen him play, and he’s a very dynamic, keep-going kind of player that can cause problems when he gets into the final third. I think most people are probably thinking, 'Do we need him?'. He’s a quality player, but I think the club needs to explain why they’re getting certain players in and how it’s going to fit into our system. It’s important to explain that to the players and the fans,” said Campbell.

Interestingly, Madueke will become the sixth player to move from Chelsea to Arsenal if the deal is completed. However, the Gunners already have Bukayo Saka for the right forward role, so Madueke may have to operate out of position under Mikel Arteta.

Arsenal have already signed Kepa Arrizabalaga from Chelsea this summer

Arsenal signed Kepa Arrizabalaga from Chelsea this summer after triggering his £5m release clause. The Spanish goalkeeper spent the 2024-25 season on loan at Bournemouth and wasn't part of the Blues' plans.

The Gunners were on the lookout for a new backup goalkeeper to cover for David Raya and moved quickly to sign Kepa. The 30-year-old has reportedly signed a three-year deal at the Emirates.

Speaking to Arsenal's website after signing the deal, Kepa insisted that he is eager to win silverware with the club.

“I'm really, really happy to be here, really excited and looking forward to what is coming. The ambition that is shown in this club, when I talk with Mikel [Arteta] and Inaki [Cana], how much they show me their desire to win… I think we are so close to winning and, hopefully, altogether, we can achieve it,” said Kepa.

Kepa joined Chelsea from Athletic Bilbao in the summer of 2018 for a reported £71m fee. He has registered 59 clean sheets from 163 games for the Blues to date.

About the author

Deepungsu is a veteran football journalist who has been covering daily transfer roundups and news for over seven years at Sportskeeda. He has written more than 9000 articles for the website, and has garnered over 20 million reads.

Deepungsu holds a PG degree in Microbiology and an MBA degree in Total Quality Management. He has an extensive two-decade long writing experience, which includes a decade of sports blogging. His writing prowess has even led his work getting cited on the legendary Franz Beckenbauer's Wikipedia page.

Inspired by Diego Maradona, Deepungsu played as an attacking midfielder for his local club at subdivision level in his initial years and scored an important goal or two. However, his all-time favorite footballer is Lionel Messi, and evidently, he feels Argentina's glory in 2022 is his favorite FIFA World Cup moment for fulfilling his long-standing dream. He is also an ardent East Bengal fan.

Deepungsu has been a Manchester United supporter since the year 2000. Unsurprisingly, his favorite manager is Sir Alex Ferguson and the Scotsman helped him get through some of the toughest days of his life. Like the fiery Scot, Deepungsu also leaves no stone unturned when it comes to accuracy in articles and only relies on credible sources.

Despite believing in Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland to create an iconic rivalry, Deepungsu reckons no one can match the longevity of Messi and Ronaldo. He spends his leisure time writing about life on his blog, reading books, and playing the guitar.

Know More

Edited by Deepungsu Pandit