RIO FERDINAND has labelled Arsenal fans a disgrace after a petition against the signing of Noni Madueke reached almost 5,000 signatures.
The petition, titled #NOTOMADUEKE, appeared on Wednesday as news surfaced that Arsenal had agreed a £55million deal for the Chelsea winger.
Ferdinand posted an incendiary statement regarding the petition to his X account.
He said: “For a Young 23 year old English footballer to be vilified, bullied, embarrassed and totally strip down at a time when you’re meant to be celebrating a transfer worth £55 million…
“To be treated in this manner via section of the Arsenal fan base is an utter disgrace.
“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.”
Murals depicting Arsenal player and manager Mikel Arteta were also defaced on Friday as news of the deal spread.
Messages such as “Arteta out” and “C***, C***” were scrawled on top of paintings of the manager underneath a North London bridge.
Ferdinand did not pull any punches when discussing the extremity of the abuse directed at Madueke…
He added: “I have never seen anything like this before, and I hope I don’t ever again.
“I just hope the transfer goes through and Noni Madueke rams all of this negativity back down the throats of these impostors.”
Madueke joined Chelsea from PSV Eindhoven in the summer of 2023, scoring 20 goals in 90 appearances for the Blues since.
With the arrival of attacking options Jamie Gittens, Estevao Willian and Joao Pedro in West London so far this summer, Madueke is searching for a new opportunity in North London.
However, it is hard to imagine a rockier start than this for the England international.
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