Manchester United and Arsenal are two of the biggest and most successful clubs of the Premier League era. But in the past 30 years, only five players have turned out for both of the two giants.
Back when the historic clubs were at the peak of their rivalry at the turn of the century, the prospect of a player moving from one to the other was unthinkable. But it’s become more commonplace since then, with all five players making the switch in the past 15 years.
We’re just looking at those from the modern Premier League era, so legendary names like Frank Stapleton and Viv Anderson miss out.
The likes of David Platt and Andrew Cole also don’t feature, given they were on either side of the divide before the formation of the Premier League in 1992.
Mikael Silvestre
France international Silvestre became the first player to make the switch between the clubs since Viv Anderson moved in the opposite direction in 1987.
Wenger is said to have called his compatriot whilst he was having a medical at Manchester City, and Arsenal swooped in late to hijack the deal.
He might well have regretted picking up the phone, as the defender struggled to find his best form at the Emirates, culminating in a disastrous display against his former club in the Champions League semi-finals in 2009. He was released by Arsenal after two forgettable seasons.
But Silvestre can be filed alongside the likes of John O’Shea as a more-than-handy player that Ferguson worked magic to get the best out of. He made over 350 appearances across his nine years at Old Trafford.
Robin van Persie
No one needs reminding that Van Persie’s move from Arsenal to United remains one of the most controversial in Premier League history.
The flying Dutchman had spent nine years in north London, but that coincided with their post-invincibles fallow period. The only major honour he won as a Gunner was the FA Cup, a penalty shootout victory over United in his debut season, before eight painful trophyless years.
At the age of 28, Van Persie produced the best form of his career, scoring 30 goals to fire Arsenal to third place in the 2011-12 Premier League season. But he was desperate for silverware, and refused to sign a new deal in a bid to move elsewhere. He got his wish with a £24million transfer to United.
The rest is history.
READ: Fergie’s farewell gift: Robin van Persie’s fairytale debut season at Man Utd
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