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Manchester United and Chelsea are two of the biggest clubs in England, with their recent history pitting them as domestic rivals since they often contest for the major trophies on offer.
Owing to their rivalry, both sets of fans often look at the other club with disdain and it is almost unthinkable that players could cross the divide.
However, the rivalry between both clubs is not that deep and unlike the Clasico rivalry in Spain or the Manchester United-Liverpool rivalry where crossing over makes you public enemy number one, some players have played for both Manchester United and Chelsea and earned the respect of both sets of fans.
In total, 11 players have donned the colors of the two clubs to varying degrees of success, with eight of those coming in the Premier League era.
In this piece, we shall be having a rundown of the top five players who have represented both Manchester United and Chelsea, factoring how successful their stint at the club was.
Note: While players like Juan Sebastian Veron and Radamel Falcao are world-beaters who made a name for themselves on the global stage, the fact that neither rose to expectation at both Manchester United and Chelsea disqualifies them from this list.
#5 Paul Parker - Manchester United (1991-1995), Chelsea (1997)
For many years, Paul Parker was one of the leading center-backs in England, but despite playing a different position at the club level, he was the first choice right-back for his nation as they made it to the semifinal of the 1990 World Cup in Italy.
Before joining United, he made a name for himself for four years at QPR where he established himself as a domineering central defender (even though he was not the tallest of center-backs).
Upon his transfer to Old Trafford in the summer of 1991, Parker was transformed positionally and was one of the cornerstones of the Red Devils' early dominance of the newly formed Premier League.
Under Ferguson's management, Parker won a total of five trophies including two Premier League titles but gradually lost his place in the team to a certain Gary Neville.
With injuries and the rise of Gary Neville reducing his importance to the team, subsequently, he underwent three transfers to Derby County, Sheffield United and Fulham before joining Chelsea in 1997.
His career at Stamford Bridge was largely one to forget, as injuries severely hampered his contributions and limited him to just four appearances (one start) in one season spent in West London.
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#4 Romelu Lukaku - Chelsea (2011-2015), Manchester United (2017-2019)
After starring for Anderlecht in his native Belgium, Romelu Lukaku completed a £17m transfer to Chelsea in the summer of 2011.
However, he failed to break into the first team in his first season and was subsequently loaned out to West Brom with whom he starred, prompting Chelsea to bring him back to the club.
A missed penalty in the UEFA Super Cup loss to Bayern Munich in the summer of 2013 seemingly sealed his fate under Jose Mourinho and Lukaku underwent another loan spell to Everton.
With the Toffees, Lukaku was almost unplayable and it came as no surprise when they made his move permanent, meaning that Lukaku made just 5 appearances (with no goal) across his four seasons as a Chelsea player.
He arrived at Manchester United in the summer of 2017 as the costliest striker in Premier League history, but despite outscoring everyone else at the club over his two seasons at Old Trafford, the Belgian international never got the respect he deserved and was subsequently sold to Inter Milan where he is once again banging in goals for fun.
#3 Mark Hughes - Manchester United (1980-1986, 1988-1995), Chelsea (1995-1998)
Mark Hughes is probably the one player who is genuinely loved by both sets of fans at Manchester United and Chelsea, as he represented the two teams with distinction.
It was at Manchester United where he first made a name for himself after progressing from the youth team setup, he went on to prove his mettle with the senior team first from 1980-1986 and in a second spell that lasted from 1988-1995.
Under Sir Alex Ferguson, Mark Hughes proved to be an integral part of the all-conquering Manchester United squad at the start of the Premier League era and his striker partnership with Eric Cantona tore opposition defences to shreds.
In what was a trophy-laden Manchester United career, Mark Hughes won a total of 11 major honours before departing the club for Chelsea in 1995.
Back then, Chelsea were far from being the powerhouses that they are today, but Mark Hughes played his part in making the club competitive and helped end the club's 26-year trophy drought when they won the FA Cup in 1997.
Further success followed in the League Cup and UEFA Cup Winners' Cup and his striker partnership with Gianfranco Zola is one that is cherished by Chelsea fans to this day.
Upon retirement, Mark Hughes has gone on to football management with varying degrees of success.
#2 Nemanja Matic - Chelsea (2009-2011, 2014-2017), Manchester United (2017- )
Nemanja Matic was one of the finest holding midfielders in the world for three seasons with Chelsea, acting as an effective shield for the back four under first Jose Mourinho and then Antonio Conte and played his part in two Premier League triumphs.
The Serbian international had earlier signed for the Blues in 2009 but failed to nail down a regular spot until a spectacular display with Benfica prompted a return to Stamford Bridge in January 2014.
In the first full season of his second spell, Matic made 36 appearances as Chelsea won a first league title in five years under Jose Mourinho's guidance.
Over the next two campaigns, the former Vitesse man starred with 151 appearances in all competitions for Chelsea and was one of the best performers in his time at the club.
Hence, there were more than a few eyebrows raised when the Blues hierarchy decided to sell him to Manchester United, with former assistant manager the late Ray Wilkins (who incidentally represented both clubs) brandishing the decision the worst he had seen.
At Old Trafford, he was a regular in his first season, making 36 league appearances for Jose Mourinho, but he has gradually seen his value reduce as Scott McTomminay has usurped him in the midfield pecking order.
#1 Juan Mata - Chelsea (2011-2014), Manchester United (2014- )
Juan Mata was another curious sale by Chelsea to Manchester United, as prior to his departure from Stamford Bridge in 2014, the Spanish international had distinguished himself as one of the club's best performers and was named Chelsea Player of the Year in his first season with the club (a title he defended a season later).
Having won almost everything winnable, Juan Mata is one of the most decorated players of his generation and most of his successes came at Chelsea with whom he won the Champions League in 2012, while his international medal haul is also enviable.
At Manchester United, Mata has gone on to play his way into the hearts of the Old Trafford faithful and has made over 200 appearances in all competitions for the Red Devils, winning the Europa League, FA Cup, and League Cup.
Even though his career has been limited to sporadic appearances of late, there is no denying that Juan Mata made an impact at both Manchester United and Chelsea.
