The last five players Arsenal bought from their rivals
Arsenal were a dominant force in English football until the mid-2000s, but have since been in a steady decline. Rather than title-challengers, they are now a team that is more likely to challenge for European spots. There is, however, a reason for positivity this summer, with the club signing Gabriel Jesus from Manchester City and still targeting more players.
Signing players from direct rivals rarely happens in English football, but Manchester City, who are constant favorites to lift the league title, may not perceive the Gunners as direct rivals.
Mentioned below are the last five players Arsenal have signed from a rival in the Premier League, including Gabriel Jesus. None of these players have set the world alight at the Emirates, but some have fared better than others.
#1 Danny Welbeck - Manchester United
Danny Welbeck was relatively successful at Manchester United, a club he signed for at the youth level. He signed for Arsenal in the summer of 2014 for £18 million at the age of 23. There was a lot of promise attached to his name.
Welbeck made 126 appearances for the Gunners in all competitions, scoring 32 goals and providing 15 assists.
@Arsenal)When Danny Welbeck returned to Old Trafford (🎥 @Arsenal) https://t.co/nYIP3XVU0s
Welbeck won one FA Cup before leaving on a free transfer to Watford in 2019. The player is a free agent after his recent deal at Brighton and Hove Albion ran out. However, as per The Regus, the club have confirmed that the striker will be extending his stay.
Welbeck was a good striker and even scored some important goals last season for the Seagulls, but his career for the Gunners was riddled with injuries. Overall, he was a relatively successful signing for Arsenal from a rival.
#2 Petr Cech - Chelsea
Petr Cech signed for Arsenal from Chelsea during the summer of 2015 for £12.6 million. The veteran goalkeeper was 33 and felt he had more to offer than being a second-choice goalkeeper to Thibaut Courtois. Cech made 139 appearances for the Gooners over four seasons and kept 54 clean sheets. He won one FA Cup with the club.
Also in 2017, Petr Cech was so unimpressed with his Arsenal teammates' glee at winning the Audi Cup that he sternly refused to lift the trophy. Yes Eddie, he's being serious. https://t.co/hQoHcn4iFR
Cech had a relatively successful career at Arsenal, given his age and the stage his career was at. He brought surety to the backline and had the highest save percentage in the league in his first season at the club. He retired from football in 2019 and joined Chelsea as their technical and performance director.
Cech left that role as of July 2022 after overseeing Chelsea's takeover. He will always remain a Premier League legend.
#3 Henrikh Mkhitaryan - Manchester United
Henrikh Mkhitaryan signed for Arsenal from Manchester United during the January transfer window in 2018. He was part of the infamous Alexis Sanchez swap deal, and it did not turn out well for either club. Mkhitaryan was 29, and Arsenal valued the transfer at £30.6 million. The Armenian made 59 appearances for Arsenal, scoring nine goals and providing 13 assists.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan explains how to pronounce his surname to Inter Milan fans.
https://t.co/iwTS6YqhD1
Mkhitaryan left the club in September 2019 on a loan deal to AS Roma, for whom he signed permanently in 2020. It's a deal that either club's fans like to dust under the carpet, but the Gooners probably got the better deal. Mkhitaryan is thriving in Serie A and signed for Inter Milan this summer on a free transfer.
#4 David Luiz - Chelsea
David Luiz signed for Arsenal from Chelsea during the summer of 2019 for £7.83 million. The player decided to leave Chelsea after falling out with Frank Lampard and the Gunners were ready to bring him to the Emirates. The player was 32 at the time but considering his experience in the league, he wasn't a risky signing on paper.
2 - David Luiz & Willian are just the second @Arsenal duo to combine for a Premier League goal for the Gunners and another Premier League club (Chelsea), after John Hartson & Ian Wright (West Ham). Connection. https://t.co/svkQsHFYvy
He made 73 appearances for the Gunners, scoring four goals and providing one assist. He also managed to get three red cards, which was surprising given he only received one in 248 appearances for Chelsea. He won one FA Cup and was released by the club in 2021.
The Brazilian currently plays for Flamengo, but in north London he will be remembered for decent moments and erratic behavior.
#5 Gabriel Jesus - Manchester City to Arsenal
Gabriel Jesus signed for Arsenal from Manchester City this summer for £46.98 million. He made 233 appearances for City, scoring 95 goals and providing 46 assists. The Brazilian is only 25-years-old and brings a lot of promise to a team looking to return to their glory days.
GABRIEL JESUS! 
seconds into his Arsenal debut, GJ9 is on the scoresheet! 
2-1 
(47)🇧🇷 GABRIEL JESUS! 🇧🇷
Barely 9️⃣0️⃣ seconds into his Arsenal debut, GJ9 is on the scoresheet! 👊
⚫️ 2-1 🔴 (47) https://t.co/5VwYk7n20J
Mikel Arteta will hope that this striker for Manchester fares better than the last one the club bought from the city. Jesus played well in his first game during the pre-season, scoring two goals against 2. Bundesliga side FC Nurnberg and helping his team win the game.
He is Premier League proven, but in London, he will need to be a leader amongst younger players as opposed to what he was at City. An interesting signing for sure.