Madueke and eight players who played for both Chelsea and Arsenal

Suraj Radia

• Updated: 30 Nov 2025 13:17 GMT
• 5 min read

Analysis

Chelsea and Arsenal have a long and bitter rivalry but the London sides have seen a number of star players feature for both sides across their history.

Both clubs have been mainstays since the Premier League’s inception and Arsenal have come out on top in their historical battles with nearly 20 extra wins over Chelsea in more than 200 meetings, as well as winning more trophies.

The rivalry perhaps intensified the most during the 2000s when Chelsea enjoyed a dominating spell after the takeover of Roman Abramovich, which saw Jose Mourinho often clash with Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger.

Despite the rivalry, the two clubs have not been shy in doing transfer business with each other and FootballTransfers takes a look at some of the standout stars who have worn both the blue of Chelsea and the red of Arsenal.

Ashley Cole

Arguably the most controversial transfer between the two clubs, Arsenal academy graduate Ashley Cole moved to Chelsea in 2006 amid a controversy of the defender being ‘tapped up’ by the Blues.

Arsenal reluctantly sold Cole for £5 million plus William Gallas after he refused to sign a new contract with the club and the England international went on to make more appearances at Chelsea, where he won the Champions League among other trophies.

Petr Cech

It speaks a lot about Petr Cech that he is held in high regard by both Chelsea and Arsenal fans, having made more than 400 appearances for the Blues before joining the Gunners and featuring 139 times for them.

Cech will go down as one of the Premier League’s best ever goalkeepers and he managed to win 15 trophies at Chelsea as well as three with Arsenal.

Cesc Fabregas

Cesc Fabregas was expected to go down as an Arsenal legend after breaking into the team as a teenager and going onto captain the club, making 300 appearances in the process, but the manner of his exit soured his reputation with the Gunners.

The Spaniard shunned Arsenal to return to boyhood club Barcelona at the peak of his career before joining Chelsea three years later where he became a fan favourite and won five trophies compared to two with the Gunners.

Olivier Giroud

One player who perhaps had more success at Arsenal than Chelsea is Olivier Giroud, having lifted six trophies in North London and scoring more than 100 goals.

Giroud moved to Chelsea in 2018 after falling out of favour at Arsenal and, while he only netted 39 goals for the Blues, his goals in Europe helped Chelsea win the Champions League in 2021.

Kai Havertz

The most expensive transfer between the clubs was the €75m transfer of Kai Havertz to Arsenal, having peaked at scoring the winner in the 2021 Champions League final for Chelsea.

Like his time at Stamford Bridge, Havertz has proven inconsistent with the Gunners, although he has played a more advanced role which has brought more goals but the German international has not truly become a favourite for either club.

Current ETV

Kai Havertz 

F (C)

Arsenal

Kai Havertz 

F (C)

Arsenal

€62.2M

ETV Range

€55.9M - €68.4M

View full profile

Jorginho

Jorginho also won the Champions League with Chelsea in 2021 but his time at both clubs is looked at fondly after captaining both clubs at various points.

Although the Italian international failed to win a trophy at Arsenal, he was still an important player under Mikel Arteta, while his five years at Chelsea has left him as a favourite for supporters.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was one of the Premier League’s most deadly strikers at Arsenal but his time ended on a sour note after falling out with Mikel Arteta, which led to him joining Barcelona despite once being the club captain.

After a brief yet fruitful time at Barca, Aubameyang joined Chelsea but his time in West London was disastrous and led to just 15 games and one goal in a forgettable spell.

Noni Madueke

The most recent transfer between the clubs was that of Noni Madueke, who joined Arsenal for €50m in 2025 after two years at Chelsea where he showed glimpses of his ability without much consistency.

The move to Arsenal saw fans launch a petition against the transfer but Madueke has impressed in his early appearances and looks set to prove both sets of supporters wrong.

Other mentions

David Luiz, Nicolas Anelka, Raheem Sterling, William Gallas, Emmanuel Petit, Willian, Yossi Benayoun, Lassana Diarra, Kepa Arrizabalaga

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