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Arsenal may not be the most prominent English club in recent times, but they certainly have not had any shortage of world-class footballers over the years. The Gunners did try their best to keep their players from moving to rivals, but a lack of silverware has triggered some controversial departures.
Here are the top five Arsenal players who have moved directly to a rival outfit since the commencement of the Premier League era (1992-present):
Special mention: Ray Kennedy transferred from Arsenal to Liverpool in 1974 and won a combined total of 18 trophies at the two clubs.
However, since he was transferred long before the Premier League era kicked off, we have kept him off our main list.
#5 Kolo Toure - Manchester City
Former Ivory Coast centre-back Kolo Toure was a force of nature on the football pitch. He was strong, surprisingly quick, and had the lung capacity of two grown men. Toure was not exactly a man of finesse, but Arsenal benefitted from the diversity he brought to the team.
The Gunners got Toure on their books in 2002, signing him for €185000 from ASEC Mimosas. Toure started his Arsenal career as a right-back and defensive midfielder, but Arsene Wenger was quick to shift him to his preferred position.
He was a first-choice centre-back for Arsenal in the 2003-04 season and helped the Gunners to an unbeaten Premier League title.
Toure won the FA Cup in 2004-05 and helped Arsenal to the 2005-06 Champions League final. He joined Manchester City in 2009, with City paying €18.5m for his services.
He won the 2011-12 Premier League title with the current league champions.
#4 Samir Nasri - Manchester City
Under Arsene Wenger, Arsenal brought and developed some truly spectacular footballers. Samir Nasri, who was on Wenger’s radar since the 2004 UEFA European Under-17 Championship, was one such player.
Nasri, who had generated a lot of fanfare at Marseille, signed for the Gunners in 2008 for €16m. The young midfielder counted on Wenger to get first-team opportunities and the legendary manager did not disappoint.
Nasri got the opportunity to make a mark and he did so by scoring on his Premier League debut.
Unfortunately, the rest of his Arsenal career was not as memorable as his debut. He suffered multiple injuries over the course of his spell at Arsenal, forcing him to sit out many crucial matches.
Having registered 27 goals and 16 assists for the Gunners, Nasri signed for Manchester City in August 2011.
The Frenchman won two Premier League titles, a League Cup and the FA Community Shield with Manchester City.
#3 Alexis Sanchez - Manchester United
Arsenal, who are not necessarily the biggest spenders in the Premier League, paid €42.5m to sign Alexis Sanchez from Barcelona in 2014. The winger was a ray of hope for the club at the time and brought much-needed flamboyancy to their attack.
His electric runs down the flank and lethal finishing in front of goal quickly made him a fan favorite. Sanchez led Arsenal to two FA Cups in 2015 and 2017.
Between 2014 and 2018, he scored a total of 80 goals across all competitions.
To everyone’s surprise, Arsenal sold the player to Manchester United in the winter transfer window of 2018 that too for only €34m.
His spell at Old Trafford was unremarkable and saw him make only 45 appearances over one-and-a-half seasons.
#2 Ashley Cole - Chelsea
Like Alexis Sanchez, Ashley Cole also looked destined to become an Arsenal legend. Unfortunately, his ambition could not help but take him to one of Arsenal’s biggest rivals - Chelsea.
Cole graduated from Arsenal’s academy and joined the senior team in 1999. The left-back was full of finesse and attacking intelligence, which made him a real asset to the Gunners.
He helped Arsenal to two Premier League titles and three FA Cups, becoming one of their most influential players in history.
In the summer of 2005, Cole was caught discussing a potential transfer with Chelsea without notifying Arsenal. The relationship between the club and the player hit rock bottom and he eventually signed for the Blues in 2006.
He spent eight seasons at Chelsea, winning one Premier League, four FA Cups, one Champions League and a Europa League title.
#1 Robin van Persie - Manchester United
Between 2004 and 2015, there were not many Premier League stars who could match the brilliance of Robin van Persie. The Dutchman was a majestic forward, capable of scoring audacious goals without breaking a sweat.
Arsenal discovered Van Persie early in the century and secured his services in 2004. Although Arsene Wenger acquired him as a left-forward, the Frenchman wanted him to take up a more central role. So over the next few years, Van Persie changed his game and turned into a vicious centre-forward.
Van Persie helped Arsenal to the FA Cup in 2004-05 and even took them to a Champions League final in 2005-06. Individually, he enjoyed his best-ever season in 2011-12, where his 30 Premier League goals won him the Golden Boot.
A legend at Arsenal, Van Persie decided to join Manchester United ahead of the 2012-13 season. The Gunners supporters did not take it well and branded him a traitor almost immediately.
Unaffected by the criticism, Van Persie won the Golden Boot again in the 2012-13 season and helped Manchester United to their 20th Premier League title.
