Five players who moved directly from Chelsea to Arsenal

The two clubs have been league rivals for several decades.

It is very rare in football that players move directly between arch-rivals given the existing tension and sporting hostility between the two parties. However, in the case of Chelsea and Arsenal, we have seen a number of players jumping ship on an unusually frequent basis recently despite the two traditionally being rivals.

The Gunners’ signing of Chelsea attacker Willian on a free transfer adds to the recent trend of players swapping West London for North London and vise versa. On this note, let’s look at a few players who have traded the blue jersey of Chelsea for the red and white strips of Arsenal in the past.

5. William Gallas

Willian Gallas was part of one of the most controversial transfers in Premier League history when he was included in the swap deal that saw Ashley Cole sign for Chelsea. Gallas had initially completed a move to England from Marseille to play under Claudio Ranieri in 2001.

He spent five years at the club and was part of the team that clinched back-to-back Premier League titles. After leaving Chelsea to join Arsenal, the former French international stayed with the North-London club for four years before signing for Tottenham Hotspur in 2010.

4. Lassana Diarra

Back in 2005, Chelsea had acquired the services of Lassana Diarra, who was then viewed as a very promising prospect. However, he found regular playing time difficult to come by and couldn’t fulfill his promise. The Frenchman played just three and ten times respectively in the league in his two seasons at Chelsea before departing for Arsenal in search of more playing time.

However, his stay there too wasn’t very long as he was shipped to Portsmouth within six months. Surprisingly, Diarra went on to sign for Real Madrid a year later, even spending five years in the Spanish capital, winning the La Liga title and the Copa del Rey trophy. He finished his playing career with a short stint at Paris Saint-Germain.

 3. Petr Cech

Following his move to Chelsea from French club Rennes in July 2004, Petr Cech spent 11 glorious years at Stamford Bridge, attaining legendary status with his performances. He won 13 trophies with the London-based club, including four Premier League titles and the Champions League crown. Moreover, he holds the record of the most clean sheets (228 )at the club.

In his final season at Chelsea, the custodian lost his regular spot in between the sticks to then youngster Thibaut Courtois. Accordingly, he ended up moving to Arsenal from Chelsea on amicable terms in the summer of 2015. He stayed for four seasons before retiring at the end of the 2018-19 campaign, with his final appearance coming in a 4-1 loss to his former club in the Europa League final. The 38-year-old is now back at Chelsea as the former goalkeeper has been appointed as the technical and performance advisor by the English club.

2. David Luiz

David Luiz joined Arsenal from Chelsea ahead of the 2019-20 Premier League campaign in an £8 million deal. During his two separate stints at Chelsea, the defender lifted the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, Europa League as well as the FA Cup trophy. However, with Chelsea boss Frank Lampard offering no guarantees of him being a first-team regular, Luiz decided to make the switch to Arsenal.

The Brazilian had a rough first year at Arsenal but ended it on a sweet note by defeating his former employers in the final of the FA Cup. He featured regularly in the side this term, making 33 appearances in the league and has extended his stay, with the club triggering the option of a second year in his contract.  

ALSO READ: Top five Reasons why Willian can be the game-changer for Arsenal

1.  Willian

Willian becomes the latest Chelsea player to directly sign for Arsenal from Chelsea. After seven successful seasons at Stamford Bridge, the Brazilian is ready to commence a new chapter in his career. The 32-year-old won two Premier titles, the FA Cup, League Cup, and the Europa League with the Blues.

However, he couldn’t come to an agreement on the length of the contract with the Blues and hence refused to sign an extension. The winger has now moved to Arsenal on a free transfer from Chelsea, having signed a three-year deal with the Gunners. An experienced campaigner renowned for his tireless work-rate and directness in the attack, he should be a great addition to Mikel Arteta’s attacking options.

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