An entire XI of ex-Arsenal stars who went to either City or Barca.
SEE ALSO: The ten most hated men in football today!
Arsenal have gained a reputation for being something of a feeder club for the bigger sides in recent years, with their move to the Emirates Stadium forcing them to sell some of their best players in a bid to bring in cash to repay the debt from building their new home ground.
Manchester City and Barcelona have been the main two teams to benefit from this selling policy, with six big names going to their Premier League rivals, and another five heading to the Nou Camp in fairly recent years.
In an amusing combined XI, see the following pages for former Arsenal players who joined either Manchester City or Barcelona…including three players who were captain when they left and one slightly cheeky inclusion in goal!GK – David Seaman
Signed by Manchester City on a free transfer from Arsenal in the summer of 2003, goalkeeper David Seaman was perhaps the move that inspired City’s desire to raid any players available from Arsenal, even if this came long before their Abu Dhabi takeover that saw them become one of the richest clubs in the world. The ponytailed legend spent just one season at City before finally retiring from the game.
RB – Bacary Sagna
The most recent player to switch from Arsenal to Manchester City, French right-back Bacary Sagna was another player to leave the Gunners on a free to their rivals this summer. Sagna was a key player in his time at the Emirates Stadium, and, like Seaman, ended his career with the club on a high with a victory in the FA Cup final.
LB – Gael Clichy
After first breaking through at Arsenal as a youngster, it is fair to say that Gael Clichy did not quite live up to expectations at the club, and was allowed to move to Manchester City back in the summer of 2011. Still, the French left-back has performed quite well since making the move to the Etihad Stadium, getting his hands on two Premier League titles in the process.
CB – Kolo Toure
A fan favourite during his time at Arsenal, but definitely one that they let go at the right time as Manchester City came calling in 2009. The Ivory Coast centre-back never quite reached his top form again at City, and was allowed to leave on a free transfer to Liverpool last summer, making him fairly well traveled around some of the big rivals in English football.
CB – Thomas Vermaelen
The latest to move from Arsenal to Barcelona, Thomas Vermaelen continues the Gunners’ recent tradition of selling their club captain every couple of summers. The Belgian international was, in fairness, out of favour at the Emirates Stadium for much of the last year or so, and may not be the wisest move by Barca as they desperately searched for new signings in defence.
RM – Alexander Hleb
A hilarious story for Arsenal fans, Alex Hleb was eager to leave the club for Barcelona on the back of one decent season in 2007/08, and his career went completely downhill after that as he barely featured for the Catalan giants, who tried for many years to sell him, but didn’t succeed as he underwent a long series of loan moves. A disastrous signing for them, but great business by Arsenal.
LM – Samir Nasri
Wide on the left is Samir Nasri, a hated figure among Arsenal’s fans after moving to Manchester City for what they deemed to be little more than in the interest of a pay rise. Still, the French winger will argue that his two titles since moving to the Etihad Stadium justify his decision, even if he hasn’t always been a key player for the side.
CM – Alex Song
Another bad mistake by Barcelona as they made another raid on Arsenal, Alex Song was a surprise purchase by the Catalan giants in the summer of 2012. The Cameroon international had just enjoyed a decent season for the Gunners, but it was arguably the first in his career after proving largely average for Arsene Wenger’s side. His failure to break into the Barcelona team will come as no surprise to Arsenal fans, and he is already being linked with an exit after just two years in La Liga.
CM – Cesc Fabregas
The second ex-Arsenal star who was captain when he was sold, Barcelona brought Cesc Fabregas back to the Nou Camp in 2011 after feeling entitled to clinging on to ‘one of their own’, who came up through the ranks in Catalunya as a youngster before joining the Gunners as a 15-year-old. Things didn’t quite work out for the Spaniard back in La Liga though, and he made the £30m move to Chelsea this summer in another move that will no doubt hurt Arsenal fans.
ST – Emmanuel Adebayor
Another surprise signing by big-spending Manchester City, Emmanuel Adebayor was hardly the best striker in the world in his three-and-a-half years at Arsenal, but he made the £25m move to the Etihad Stadium in 2009, becoming another figure of hate for the club’s fans in the process. Adebayor was unsurprisingly booed by his old supporters when playing against them for the first time, and he responded by wildly celebrating a goal against them in a 4-2 win, running the length of the pitch to rub it in their faces.
ST – Thierry Henry
An Arsenal legend, Thierry Henry was also tracked by Barcelona for a long time before they finally got him in the summer of 2007, when he was arguably past his peak. It proved to be a good decision by the Gunners, with Henry struggling to replicate his best form at the Nou Camp, though he did have a strong season in their famous 2008/09 treble-winning campaign.
Arselona City XI in full: