Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has revealed that a summer protest by fans against the signing of winger Noni Madueke only strengthened his resolve to make the transfer a resounding success.
The Social Media Storm
In July, more than 4,000 Arsenal supporters signed a petition opposing the club's £52 million move for the Chelsea player, using the hashtag #NoToMadueke on social media platform X. Rather than being deterred, Arteta says this public display of dissent had the opposite effect on his thinking.
"If anything, it gave me more conviction and more will to help him," Arteta stated ahead of Arsenal's crucial match against Chelsea. "We wanted to do everything we possibly could to make this relationship work and to prepare everything around him in the best possible way."
Injury Setback and Triumphant Return
The 23-year-old winger quickly won over doubters with a series of impressive performances after his high-profile switch. However, his momentum was halted by a knee injury suffered in the 1-1 draw with Manchester City in September, which forced him to miss six of Arsenal's opening twelve Premier League matches.
After nine weeks on the sidelines, Madueke made his comeback in dramatic fashion, coming on as a 78th-minute substitute in Arsenal's emphatic 4-1 north London derby victory against Tottenham last Sunday. His return to fitness is timely, with the player now in contention to face his former club, Chelsea, this weekend.
Fuel for Success and Ballon d'Or Belief
Arteta believes the initial fan resistance ultimately served as motivation for the player. "I think that campaign lasted a short period of time and immediately we had the complete opposite reaction, which I think he valued, respected and it was like fuel to him," the Gunners boss explained. "It did not affect him."
Meanwhile, Arteta has thrown his support behind another of his summer signings, Declan Rice, suggesting the midfielder has the potential to win the Ballon d'Or. Following a man-of-the-match display against Bayern Munich and a string of impressive performances, Arteta was full of praise.
"I hope so," Arteta said when asked if Rice could win the prestigious award. "That would mean that we have won a lot. Normally it goes very much related to trophies. Again, I think he was immense the other day. I think he's been immense since the start of the season. He's an incredible and crucial player for us."
Rice has been deployed in a more advanced role this season, contributing two goals and six assists across all competitions, further cementing his status as a vital component of Arteta's title-chasing squad.
