Noni Madueke was notably absent from Chelsea’s historic 3-0 win over Paris Saint-Germain in the Club World Cup final held at the MetLife Stadium, choosing instead to leave the team camp early to finalise his move to Premier League rivals Arsenal.

His absence, permitted by Chelsea to facilitate a £52 million transfer, raised eyebrows, but it was what followed that truly stirred controversy.

Just 24 hours after Chelsea’s victory, photos and videos surfaced on TikTok showing Madueke partying at the Wireless Festival in North London.

The 23-year-old England international was seen enjoying Burna Boy’s performance and vibing during Drake’s 40-minute set.

According to GOAL, Madueke wasn’t alone as he was spotted with Manchester United’s Jadon Sancho and Chelsea loanee Carney Chukwuemeka, all of whom drew attention from fans and pundits alike.

The optics of the celebration, especially while his former Chelsea teammates celebrated a hard-earned global title, did not sit well with many fans, including those of his new club, Arsenal.

While the move to Arsenal is expected to be completed after a scheduled medical on Monday, the reaction from fans has been far from celebratory.

The North London faithful are divided, with many questioning the logic behind spending such a significant sum on a player who wasn’t even a starter at Chelsea.

According to The Sun, a petition titled #NoToMadueke has already attracted over 5,000 signatures from disgruntled

Arsenal supporters who believe the club should be targeting more high-profile or proven attackers, especially with Champions League ambitions on the horizon.

Critics argue that Madueke’s form at Chelsea did not justify the price tag, pointing to his inconsistency and fitness concerns.

Though Madueke’s off-field behaviour is not new to the modern footballer lifestyle, the decision to attend a high-profile festival while his (now-former) teammates were lifting a prestigious international trophy comes off as tone-deaf.

The presence of fellow controversial figure Jadon Sancho only intensified the media scrutiny.

Sancho, whose career is also in limbo, has had his own issues with professionalism and club discipline.

For Madueke, the Arsenal move was meant to be a fresh chapter. Now, even before his unveiling, he is making headlines, but for all the wrong reasons.

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has confirmed that winger Noni Madueke personally made the decision to leave the club’s Club World Cup camp ahead of their final against PSG.

While the timing of the transfer, just days before Chelsea’s biggest match under Maresca, has raised eyebrows, the manager made it clear that the move was the player’s own choice.

Despite the potential disruption to Chelsea’s preparations for the Club World Cup final, Maresca struck a calm and respectful tone regarding Madueke’s departure.

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Source: Legit.ng