Every Player to Join Arsenal From Chelsea and How They Fared

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·11 Juli 2025

Every Player to Join Arsenal From Chelsea and How They Fared

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.

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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.

William Gallas

Gallas completed the London trifecta during his career. / IMAGO/Sportimage

The French defender remains the only player to complete the big London club trifecta. Gallas was a part of the deal that brought Ashley Cole to Chelsea, and he spent four years with Arsenal between 2006 and 2010.

Gallas, who appeared 159 times in the Premier League for the Blues, racked up over 100 league games in Arsenal colours, oddly donning the No. 10 shirt after Dennis Bergkamp’s retirement.

His time at the Emirates was a mixed bag, with controversy blighting his time as captain. Gallas was stripped of the armband after his outburst in the wake of a 2–2 draw with Birmingham City in 2008—the game that involved Eduardo’s horrific leg break. He departed as a free agent and all but ruined any relationship with supporters by later joining Spurs.

Lassana Diarra

Diarra’s time at Arsenal was brief. / IMAGO/Newscom World

Diarra’s bizarre career would take him to Real Madrid via Portsmouth and Paris Saint-Germain via Al Jazira Club. He was gifted enough to represent Europe’s best without ever being regarded as a star, but he failed to make the grade in the English capital.

Chelsea were happy to let Diarra leave at the end of the 2007 summer transfer window, with Arsenal acquiring his services for a small fee on Deadline Day. However, after making just 13 Premier League appearances for the Blues, the midfielder appeared seven times in the league under Arsène Wenger’s tutelage.

His early struggle for regular minutes convinced Diarra to jump ship just months into his Gunners career, and he joined Pompey in January 2008.

Yossi Benayoun

Benayoun spent the 2011–12 season on loan at Arsenal. / IMAGO/Norbert Schmidt

Benayoun’s eight-year Premier League career spanned four clubs. After starring at West Ham and playing an underrated role for Rafael Benítez’s Liverpool, Chelsea acquired the Israeli for a small fee.

However, with his opportunities with the Blues limited, Arsenal were willing to take the versatile midfielder on loan for the 2011–12 season, and he proved to be a useful addition for the Gunners.

He appeared 19 times in the Premier League during his loan spell, even captaining the side on a couple of occasions. His experience and leadership were valued into Wenger’s dressing room, but he returned to Chelsea after just a single campaign in north London.

Petr Cech

Čech won a Golden Glove with the Gunners. / IMAGO/Paul Marriott

To some, Čech is the greatest goalkeeper in Premier League history... but because of his work at Stamford Bridge. The Czech shot-stopper spent 11 years at Chelsea, racking up 333 league appearances, claiming 13 major honours and three Golden Glove awards.

Čech departed the club in 2015 with Chelsea developing Thibaut Courtois into their new number one. Convinced that he was over the hill, the Blues sold Čech to Arsenal in a £10 million ($13.5 million) deal.

He immediately quashed any doubt over his competence at the highest level by winning his fourth Golden Glove during his first season at Arsenal, but his demise in the aftermath vindicated Chelsea’s decision to let him go. Čech added an FA Cup to his trophy haul with the Gunners before retiring in 2019.

David Luiz

David Luiz’s Arsenal tenure wasn’t as bad as you think. / IMAGO/GEPA pictures

The Brazilian’s time at Arsenal was probably better than you remember it to be. Luiz was no angel in north London, but he offered valuable experience to a backline that was devoid of talent.

Luiz spent just a couple of years with the Gunners, having conquered Europe with Chelsea in 2012. He had two spells in west London, the second of which saw him develop into a genuinely reliable defender who helped the Blues to a Premier League title.

The distinct-looking centre-half spent two seasons with the Gunners, racking up over 50 Premier League appearances. He was probably the club‘s most dependable defender during his time at the Emirates, although that really isn’t saying much.

Willian

Willian’s Arseanl career was a disaster. / IMAGO/Xinhua

Oh, how it all started so promisingly for Willian at Arsenal. The Gunners were believed to have made one of the signings of the 2020 summer when they acquired the Brazilian winger from Chelsea on a free transfer.

He started with a productive outing at Fulham on the opening weekend of the 2020–21 Premier League season, but his Arsenal career peaked there.

The winger lasted just a year in north London after penning a three-year deal, with Willian later admitting he struggled for "motivation" in front of the eerie empty stadiums that were forced upon us as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

He’d label his short Arsenal stint as the "worst time" his his impressive career.

Jorginho

Jorginho was a valuable member of Mikel Arteta’s dressing room. / IMAGO/Visionhaus

Arsenal were after Moisés Caicedo midway through the 2022–23 season as they chased the Premier League title. However, with Brighton & Hove Albion playing hardball and demanding a fee Chelsea would later pay without much fuss, the Gunners pivoted.

They turned to a much cheaper alternative in Jorginho, and while the signing struggled to enamour supporters right away, the Italian international proved to be an astute addition given the fee.

He was never a regular in Mikel Arteta’s starting XI, but he was a valued member of the Spaniard’s dressing room and his on-pitch general when he did take to the field. After extending his contract by another year in 2024, Jorginho left the club as a free agent at the start of the 2025 summer.

Kai Havertz

Havertz continues to divide opinion. / IMAGO/News Images

Eyebrows were certainly raised when Arsenal were all to willing to send £65 million ($87.8 million) Chelsea’s way for Havertz, who’d frustrated more than he sparkled in west London having arrived to much fanfare from Bayer Leverkusen in 2020.

Arteta signed him to succeed Granit Xhaka on the left side of Arsenal’s midfield, but the German performed clumsily in the role. The manager was forced to change tack, and after Havertz had some success operating off the shoulder of Gabriel Jesus, he eventually blossomed into Arsenal’s starting striker.

The debate contues to rage as to whether Havertz is good enough to lead the Gunners’ line, but he was particularly brilliant when they were chasing the title down the stretch in 2023–24.

Raheem Sterling

Raheem Sterling returned to Chelsea after a loan spell with Arsenal. / IMAGO/Sportsphoto

Arsenal don’t have an awful record buying from Chelsea, but the wingers who have switched west for north London have proven to be catastrophic failures. Madueke will be aiming to buck the trend.

Sterling was signed amid a panic late in the 2024 summer transfer window, with Arsenal hoping that the experienced wide man, who worked under Arteta at Man City, would offer sound cover for Bukayo Saka down the right, and perhaps push for a starting spot down the opposite side.

He never got going during his season-long loan, however. Sterling’s 2024–25 campaign was bereft of any moments of note, and he may well be regarded as one of the worst Gunners signings of recent times.