Arsenal fan dubbed 'disgraceful' as petition against Arteta transfer plan starts

Arsenal are closing in on the signing of Chelsea winger Noni Madueke, but the move has not gone down well with a section of the Gunners fan base, who have created a petition

Arsenal fans have been branded disgraceful after a petition opposing the signing of Noni Madueke attracted thousands of signatures. The Gunners are in talks about signing the Chelsea winger, who is with the Blues at the Club World Cup in the United States, where they will face Paris Saint-Germain in Sunday's final.

Arsenal are believed to have tabled a bid of £50m, plus add-ons, for the 23-year-old, with head coach Mikel Arteta keen to strengthen his squad ahead of another assault on the Premier League title.

It appears to be a case of when, not if, the England international moves to the red half of north London, with personal terms already agreed. However, a group of disgruntled fans have gone to the extreme lengths by setting up an online petition declaring their opposition to the transfer.

The petition, emblazoned with the #NOTOMADUEKE hashtag and featuring an image of Madueke with a red cross over his face, had garnered just over 2,000 signatures by Thursday afternoon.

The campaign has drawn criticism from other Arsenal fans, who have labelled it "disgraceful", while supporters of rival clubs have mocked the petition. One lamented: "This fanbase is finished. Who started a petition for Madueke?" Another declared: "Embarrassing behaviour."

A third expressed their dismay, commenting: "Absolutely disgraceful behaviour, we really are the worst fan base in the world."

One supporter leapt to the defence of the seven-cap international, posting: "I understand the frustration with the potential signing of Madueke but some of our fanbase are total morons. Petitions? Online Abuse? Grow Up! England international, 23 years old, and has unreal pace. Get behind the player (and team)."

As the petition numbers soared into the thousands, a Gunners fan highlighted: "1000 people do not represent Arsenal."

With Arsenal still chasing Viktor Gyokeres, a striker many fans are desperate for, some voiced their irritation at the club's interest in Madueke. One unhappy fan expressed: "Not that we don't like him [Madueke]. The club hasn't signed the player we want. This is just the sample reason we are bashing him. We need a proper number 9. No number of signings will make us happy unless a proper striker is signed."

Another concurred, saying: "The fans are fed up. Instead of getting Gyokeres, the club is willing to spend more than £50m for another Chelsea player. Do we really need Noni? Now that you're missing out on Sesko, Gyokeres and Osimhen, it's another season gone. Something isn't right with this club."

Should Chelsea cash in on Madueke for the aforementioned sum, it would represent a profit after paying PSV £28.5m for him just over two years ago. One cheeky Blues supporter couldn't resist giving Arsenal fans a bit of advice: "Lol. They should take him. He can be frustrating 85% of the time, but really exciting 15% of the time, and that's what a backup should be."

Negotiations with Sporting CP regarding Gyokeres have hit a snag due to differing valuations of the Swedish forward. Meanwhile, Arsenal have been priced out of another target, Benjamin Sesko, adding to the supporters' frustrations.