Declan Rice Confident Noni Madueke Will Impress Arsenal Fans After Transfer From Chelsea

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Declan Rice has expressed confidence in Noni Madueke, Arsenal's new acquisition from Chelsea, predicting that he will surprise many. Madueke joined the Gunners for an initial fee of £48.5 million, with potential add-ons. The 23-year-old is anticipated to support Bukayo Saka on the right flank, although some fans have questioned the hefty price tag.

Madueke's performance in the Premier League last season was notable. He completed 45 dribbles, surpassing Saka by four, and contributed to 10 goals (seven goals and three assists). This tally would have placed him seventh in Arsenal's squad for goal involvements last year. Despite external doubts, Rice is confident his England teammate will excel at Arsenal.

Madueke is among four new players joining Arsenal this season. The club has also signed Martin Zubimendi, Christian Norgaard, and Kepa Arrizabalaga. Additionally, Cristhian Mosquera from Valencia and Viktor Gyokeres from Sporting CP are reportedly close to joining. Rice believes these additions will bolster the squad after injuries hampered their title pursuit last season.

"Let's be real, last year we hardly had any depth in any areas," Rice noted. "We played half the season with so many injuries. Now being able to rotate and compete in different competitions with various players is going to be really good." This increased depth is seen as crucial for Arsenal's ambitions.

Rice has set ambitious targets for himself following a strong finish last season in an advanced midfield role. He recorded 19 goal involvements (nine goals and 10 assists) across all competitions, second only to Saka's 25 for Arsenal. "I'm putting really big demands on myself this year," Rice stated.

Reflecting on his previous season, Rice admitted he struggled initially due to mental fatigue after the Euros final with England and a short break before returning to Premier League action. However, he feels fit after a full pre-season and aims to start strong this time around.

The manager envisions Rice as a box-to-box midfielder despite having options like Zubimendi and Norgaard for other roles. "At the back-end of last season... I showed fully what I can do in that position," Rice said about his midfield role. He sees room for growth there and aims to contribute more consistently throughout the season.

Rice is determined to improve his game further by setting specific targets such as more goals and assists over a full season rather than just at its end. "The best players in the world do that," he remarked about pushing oneself continuously—a sentiment echoed by his manager.