Arsenal agree Noni Madueke transfer despite petition against deal as Chelsea compromise

Arsenal are closing in on a deal for Noni Madueke after submitting a £50million-plus bid for the winger. Chelsea are in advanced talks with the Gunners and a deal could be completed between the two Premier League clubs by this weekend.

Madueke, 23, has already agreed personal terms on a switch to the Emirates and will put pen to paper on a five-year deal with Arsenal once everything is in place. Chelsea were looking for a fee of over £50m and Arsenal tried to negotiate that down. A compromise has been made between the two London outfits. The transfer will be worth up to £52m if all add-ons are met.

Yet there has been a negative response to Madueke's arrival from quarters of the Gunners' fanbase. There has been an online petition started against the deals to sign the forward and Viktor Gyokeres.

Chelsea are eager to agree some outgoings having strengthened their frontline heavily again this summer, signing Liam Delap, Jamie Gittens and Joao Pedro and spending over £130m to do so.

Madueke will become the seventh player to move from Chelsea to Arsenal in the past six years. He follows David Luiz, Willian, Jorginho, Kai Havertz, Raheem Sterling and Kepa Arrizabalaga earlier this summer, who joined for £5m.

But the Change.org petition against his signing, called #NOTOMADUEKE and which had nearly 4,000 signatures on Thursday night, reads: "Arsenal fans deserve better, we are so close to success and instead of capitalising on the squad we have it seems we are moving two steps back just like the three previous transfer windows.

"We can surely do better than Madueke & Gyokeres show some ambition repay the fans the same way we've backed the club for the past two decades."

Those who have signed it look unlikely to get their wish with the England winger poised to become the club's fourth signing of the summer after Arrizabalaga, Christian Norgaard, who joined from Brentford for £10m rising to £15m, and the £55m midfielder Martin Zubimendi.

Arsenal are also in advanced talks to sign Sporting striker Viktor Gyokeres although there has not been a club-to-club agreement yet. All parties are keen to do the deal for the 27-year-old centre-forward.