Arsenal and Chelsea are supposed to be fierce London rivals, but they’re willingness to conduct off-field business with one another points towards a lack of animosity.
The pair share a hatred for Arsenal’s north London rivals, Tottenham Hotspur, and perhaps it’s this which has seen them develop a cordial relationship in modern times.
The first example of a direct Chelsea to Arsenal transfer arrived back in 1953 as Billy Dickson traded west for north London. Since then, 17 senior players have moved directly between the two clubs, the majority of which involve the Gunners mopping up some of the Blues’ unwanted talent.
We’ve already seen Kepa Arrizabalaga trade Stamford Bridge for the Emirates this summer, and the Spaniard is set to be joined by winger Noni Madueke in N5. It’s a transfer that has divided opinion among Arsenal supporters, to say the least, not just because the Gunners haven’t had too much success when dipping into the Blues’ talent pool.
Here’s how every player to move directly from Chelsea to Arsenal in the Premier League era fared.
