Here is a list of 8 players who have played for both Manchester United and Arsenal in the history of the Premier League.
Football club rivalries over the years often make it hard to believe players are often open to switching allegiances in future, one of such rivalries that has shaped football history is Arsenal vs Manchester United.
Players according to history have made the move from Arsenal to Manchester United or vice versa.
As hard as it may seem to believe, these players proved vital for the two sides as they played key roles in Arsenal and Man United, securing league titles, FA and Carabao Cup wins and the UEFA Champions League.
Who are the players who left Arsenal for Manchester United?
For some players, the move from London to Manchester had been a turning point in their careers as some became idols whilst others went on a trophy-winning spree. Here is a list of four players who left Arsenal to join Manchester United:
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Alexis Sanchez
Following the official confirmation of his signing from Barcelona in 2014, Alexis Sanchez joined Arsenal with a clear purpose in mind which was why the Chile forward scored 25 goals in his first season with the club.
In the 2014/15 season, he was honoured with the title of Player of the Season, and he achieved the same feat two years later.
During that time, he scored 30 goals in all competitions, which helped Arsenal win the FA Cup. In the final match against Chelsea, he scored the opening goal in the 2-1 victory.
He joined Manchester United in January 2018 and played 45 games for the club, scoring five goals before leaving to join Internazionale.
Frank Stapleton
Frank Stapleton joined Arsenal as a youth player and progressed through the ranks to become a first-team regular. He made his debut for Arsenal in 1972 and quickly established himself as a key player for the club.
During his time with the Gunners, Stapleton was instrumental in the squad's successes, including winning the FA Cup in 1979 and the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1980.
Stapleton's time at Arsenal came to an end in 1981 when he completed a move to the Red Devils, Manchester United.
The Irish international joined the club during a transitional period but quickly became a key figure in the club as he became the highest goal scorer for United in the 1982/1983 season.
Robin Van Persie
Robin van Persie joined Arsenal in 2004, leaving Feyenoord in his home country of the Netherlands.
He quickly became one of the most skilled and deadly strikers in the Premier League, scoring many goals. However, he also experienced some injuries during his time at the club.
In 2011, he was given the honour of being named the captain of Arsenal. Despite this, he decided to leave the club in 2012, because he wanted to win more trophies.
He signed with Manchester United, who were also a top team in the Premier League. In his first year with the club, he played a key role in helping them win the Premier League title.
He scored many important goals, including some against their biggest rivals, such as Manchester City. This showed how much of an impact he had on the team.
David Herd
David Herd began his career with Stockport County where he played with his father before completing a move to Arsenal in 1954.
Having featured sporadically during the 1954/55 and 1955/56 campaigns, David went on to establish himself as a key member of our first-team squad.
He was the club's top scorer in four successive seasons and he ended his run with the Gunners with a total of 107 goals in 180 appearances.
He however completed an unexpected transfer to Man United where He was part of the United squad that won the FA Cup in 1963, scoring twice in the final against Leicester City.
Players who left Manchester United for Arsenal
Mikael Silvestre
Mikael, a defender, played for Manchester United for nine seasons from 1999 to 2008. He won the Premier League four times during his time there.
He joined Arsenal at the age of 31 and played for two seasons, appearing in a total of 43 matches.
In 2008, he transferred from Arsenal to Manchester United, becoming the first player to move directly between the two clubs since Viv Anderson in 1987.
His debut game for Arsenal was against their rivals from north London. He signed with Werder Bremen during the summer of 2010.
Danny Welbeck
Danny signed with Arsenal on transfer deadline day in June 2014, ending his 13-year association with Manchester United.
During his tenure with United, he spent six years in the first-team squad and scored 29 goals in 142 appearances for his hometown club.
Moving to London proved to be an easy transition for the versatile forward, as he quickly settled in. In his debut season, he was part of the Arsenal team that won the FA Cup, and he memorably scored the winner against his former club in the quarter-final.
Two years later, Danny lifted the trophy again after starting in the 2-1 final win over Chelsea.
Despite suffering two serious knee injuries during his time at Arsenal, Danny remained a beloved member of the squad and recovered to score 32 goals in 126 matches before leaving for Watford at the end of the 2018/19 season.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan
Henrikh arrived at Arsenal from Manchester United in January 2018, as part of a player exchange deal which included Alexis Sanchez.
During his first home match, the Armenian midfielder provided three assists in a 5-1 victory against Everton.
He managed to score his first goal for Arsenal in a 2-0 win over Milan at the San Siro. Overall, Henrikh played a total of 59 games for the club while he was in north London, scoring nine times, before he joined Roma - initially on loan - in 2019.
Brian Kidd
Brian came through the ranks at Old Trafford and was part of the first-team squad for seven years, scoring in the 4-1 European Cup final win over Benfica in 1968.
Brian moved to north London in 1974 following Manchester United’s relegation and marked his first season with us by finishing as top goalscorer, netting 19 times in 40 appearances.
He scored 11 times the following campaign before returning to his hometown in the summer of 1976, signing for Manchester City.
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