Rice Defends Madueke Amid Social Media Storm

Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice has publicly supported new signing Noni Madueke following heated online debates about the £48.5M acquisition from Chelsea. The England international revealed internal confidence in the 23-year-old winger during post-match comments after Arsenal's 1-0 pre-season victory over AC Milan in Singapore.

Key developments:

• Social media backlash saw #NoToMadueke trend with 5,000+ petition signatures
• Madueke's 20 goals in 92 Chelsea appearances highlighted as proof of pedigree
• Personal welcome letter from Rice featured in official transfer announcement

"When your first instinct is to beat defenders, that's special," Rice told BBC Sport. "He's exactly what we need - hungry, direct, and ready to push Saka and Martinelli. Depth wins titles."

Tactical Upgrade for Arteta's System

Madueke's arrival addresses Arsenal's historical struggles against low-block defenses:

"Last season's injury crisis showed we need quality rotation," Rice added. "Now we can attack multiple competitions properly."

Rice's Evolving Role

The £105M midfielder outlined personal ambitions after registering 9 goals and 10 assists last campaign:

• Targeting consistent creative output as box-to-box specialist
• Working with Arteta to improve attacking contributions
• Acknowledging mental fatigue post-Euros 2022

Transfer Market Momentum

Arsenal's summer business includes:

1. Martin Zubimendi (Real Sociedad) - £52M
2. Christian Norgaard (Brentford) - £34M
3. Kepa Arrizabalaga (Real Madrid) - Loan

Upcoming deals for Viktor Gyokeres and Cristhian Mosquera expected to complete squad overhaul.