Man Utd and Arsenal: 5 players that have featured for both teams

Premier League giants Manchester United and Arsenal have been rivals for the longest time. They both have managed to produce sensational players over the years. However, a few players have shifted sides from one club to the other. The shift that these players made wasn’t taken lightly by the fans given the rivalry between the clubs. However, some players have been average at one club and bloomed at another. Here are the top five players who played for both the English teams.

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Premier League: 5 players who have played for both Manchester United and Arsenal

Mikael Silvestre

• Manchester United 1999-2008 (361 apps, 10 goals); Arsenal 2008-2010 (46 apps, 6 goals)

French international defender Silvestre enjoyed vast success during his time at Old Trafford. The Frenchman earned four Premier League titles, one Champions League winners’ medal, and FA Cup and League Cup. Sir Alex Ferguson deemed him surplus to requirements. A move to Arsenal followed in 2008 by which time his peak had passed.

Danny Welbeck

• ​Manchester United: 2008-2014 (142 apps, 29 goals); Arsenal: 2014-Present (31 apps, 8 goals)

The latest player to make the difficult and controversial move from Manchester United to Arsenal is England striker Danny Welbeck. He had a decent first season in North London, managing eight goals for his new side since his £16m move. Despite being a massive prospect at Old Trafford, the pacey Welbeck never managed to secure a regular starting spot upfront. He has a Premier League title and League Cup win to his name so far.

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Andy Cole

• ​Arsenal: 1989-1992 (2 apps, 0 goals); Manchester United: 1995-2001 (195 apps, 93 goals)

A player who launched his youth career at Arsenal, Andy Cole only managed to make two appearances for the North London side before his move to Bristol City. Ferguson signed the England striker for £7m in 1995. United were where Cole thrived. He scored 93 goals for the Red Devils and won five Premier League titles, two FA Cups and a Champions League in a fruitful spell for the team.

Alexis Sanchez

• Arsenal: 2014-2018 (166 apps, 80 goals); Manchester United: 2018-current (45 apps, 5 goals)

United were able to secure the services of Sanchez from Arsenal even though he was almost certain to be headed for Manchester City. The 30-year-old Chilean had failed to produce anything like the kind of form he had for his former clubs. He showed great form during his peak years with Barcelona and Arsenal. While his time at United, manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær had been preferring younger alternatives in the attacking positions. Currently, he is with Inter Milan. 

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Robin Van Persie

• Arsenal: 2004-2012 (279 apps, 132 goals); Manchester United: 2012-2015 (105 apps, 58 goals)

Robin Van Persie, Arsenal's top scorer and captain, decided he wanted to move to United in search of trophies. The Dutchman had grown tired of not winning anything with the Gunners and switched teams in 2013. He went on to win the title in his first season with Red Devils, which was to be Ferguson’s last season in charge as he stepped down from the game after an illustrious career. Van Persie stayed at the club for another two years before moving away from the club without any considerable success.

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