Declan Rice reacts to Arsenal signing Madueke from Chelsea ahead of £52m transfer

The 23-year-old England international is poised to become the tenth player to make the switch from Chelsea to Arsenal, following Kepa Arrizabalaga’s £5 million transfer earlier in the window.

With the transfer fee reportedly exceeding £50 million, the move has sparked backlash among some fans, including a petition opposing the signing.

Now, one of Madueke’s soon-to-be teammates appears to have weighed in on the situation.

Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has been tracking the deal closely, sharing frequent updates across his social media channels.

After Romano posted his signature “Here We Go” announcement on Thursday morning, it became clear that Arsenal are on the verge of confirming the transfer—and Rice seems pleased.

Rice liked both Romano’s initial Instagram post and the follow-up video detailing the £50 million-plus agreement, hinting at his enthusiasm for the incoming winger.

His interest isn’t surprising, given that Rice and Madueke have played together for England on multiple occasions.

The pair featured in five international matches during the 2024/25 season, including Nations League and World Cup qualifiers.

They’ve also shared friendly moments on social media, with Rice commenting positively on Madueke’s post after England’s win over Andorra.

As club rivals, they’ve faced off four times, with three matches ending in draws and one resulting in a 5–0 victory for Arsenal during the 2023/24 Premier League campaign.