Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice jumped to the defence of his new teammate Noni Madueke, whose arrival from Chelsea has caused plenty of debate among the club’s online fanbase.

The Gunners announced the acquisition of Madueke to a decidedly mixed response last week. As reports of the 23-year-old’s impending transfer gathered pace, an online petition dubbed #NoToMadueke begain to gain traction. By the time the deal was finalised, it had received more than 5,000 signatures.

The concerns are numerous and most have nothing to do with Madueke. There is a growing fatigue of any player signed from Chelsea, while many have questioned why Arsenal are committing more than £50 million ($67.2 million) on a player who is not a guaranteed starter.

Rice was unimpressed with the reaction. “I didn’t like it, if I’m speaking honestly,” he huffed to assembled reporters during Arsenal’s pre-season tour of Asia. “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.”

Madueke also boasts plenty of tangible qualities. The two-footed forward averaged the most shots of any Premier League winger last season and is the most effective wide man at converting dribbling opportunities into efforts on goal in the division.

“When you’re an attacking player and in your mind the first thought you have is to go past your defender, that’s an unbelievable trait to have,” Rice gushed. “He’s going to bring that to the squad along with the other wingers we have.”

And when the topic of Madueke’s supposedly limited playing opportunities was raised, Rice sighed: “Let’s be real—last year we hardly had any depth in any areas. We played half the season pretty much with so many injuries, so to now be able to rotate and push in different competitions with different players is going to be really, really good. That’s key for us.”

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This article was originally published on www.si.com as ‘I Didn’t Like It’—Declan Rice Slams Arsenal Fans for Social Media Backlash.

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