Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has become the sixth former Arsenal player to join Chelsea in the Premier League era
Chelsea have completed the signing of Gabonese striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from Barcelona in a player-plus-cash deal.
After weeks of negotiations and discussions, both clubs finally reached an agreement that would see Chelsea pay £12 million to Barcelona for Aubameyang while also sending Spanish full-back Marcos Alonso in the other direction.
Aubameyang only joined Barcelona in February having left Arsenal as a free agent after four years at the club, making Chelsea his third club in the last seven months.
It also makes Aubameyang the 12th player to play for both Arsenal and Chelsea in the Premier League era, but only the sixth to join Chelsea having already played for Arsenal, here are the other five in order of how it happened.
Emmanuel Petit
French midfielder Emmanuel Petit joined Arsenal in 1997 as a 26-year-old and had three successful years in which he won two trophies, Premier League and FA Cup (both in his first season) and scored 11 goals in 116 total appearances for the Gunners.
After one year in Barcelona which didn’t go according to plan, Petit was back in England but this time with Chelsea who signed him for £7.5 million in 2001.
Petit would go on to play 76 games in three seasons at Chelsea scoring three goals and retiring afterwards.
Ashley Cole
In the summer of 2006, Ashley Cole became the first player to join Chelsea directly from Arsenal in the Premier League era in a controversial transfer that saw Chelsea pay £5 million and sent William Gallas the other way in a player-plus-cash deal.
Cole would go on to rubberstamp himself as one of the best players in Chelsea history with 338 appearances in eight seasons for the club.
Even though he did win five trophies at Arsenal, Ashley Cole was more successful at Chelsea with eight trophies including the UEFA Champions League.
Nicolas Anelka
French striker Nicolas Anelka is known as football’s ultimate journeyman and his history with Arsenal and Chelsea exemplifies that as there were nine years and six different clubs between his time for the two London giants in focus.
Anelka was an Arsenal player between 1996 and 1999 and won the Premier League and FA Cup but it was at Chelsea where he enjoyed the major success of his career.
Anelka scored 59 goals in 184 games for Chelsea between 2007 and 2012, winning one Premier League and two FA Cup titles but sadly leaving the club just six months before they won the Champions League.
Cesc Fabregas
Having played 303 games between 2003 and 2011 for the club, there is no doubt that Cesc Fabregas is an Arsenal legend.
Although his legendary status may be contested by Gunners faithful as the Spanish midfielder went on to have a successful five-year spell as a Chelsea player after three years in Barcelona.
Between 2014 and 2019, Fabregas became a fan favourite at Chelsea where he played 198 games and won five trophies compared to just one at Arsenal.
Olivier Giroud
Olivier Giroud followed Ashley Cole’s footsteps as the only other player to join Chelsea directly from Arsenal having made the switch in January 2018.
Giroud’s five and half seasons at Arsenal generates mixed feelings but he did score 105 goals in 253 games, winning three FA Cups for his troubles.
He managed 39 goals in 119 games for Chelsea and became a cult hero in his three and half seasons at Stamford Bridge, winning three trophies including the Champions League and Europa League.
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