Played for both: Arsenal and Manchester United

We’ll face Manchester United at MetLife Stadium on Saturday, July 22, as preparations for the 2023/24 season continue to take shape.

Tickets are still available or you can watch the action online on Arsenal.com and the official app

Ahead of the fixture, we’ve taken a look at a selection of players to have made a first-team appearance for both teams. Read on to find out who they are…

Henrikh Mkhitaryan

 

Henrikh joined us from Manchester United in January 2018, as part of a swap deal involving Alexis Sanchez.

The Armenian midfielder marked his home debut by providing three assists in a 5-1 win over Everton and scored his first goal for us in a 2-0 win over Milan at the San Siro.

In total, Henrikh made 59 appearances during his time in north London, scoring nine times, before joining Roma - initially on loan - in 2019.

Alexis Sanchez

There was palpable excitement around Emirates Stadium when we announced the signing of Alexis from Barcelona in the summer of 2014.

It didn’t take long to show why. The Chile forward scored 25 goals in his first season with us, crowning his debut campaign by scoring a swerving, long-range goal in our 4-0 FA Cup final win over Aston Villa.

He was named our Player of the Season in 2014/15 and repeated the feat two years later, netting 30 times in all competitions to help us win the FA Cup again - he opened the scoring in the 2-1 final win against Chelsea.

Alexis, who won the Copa America twice during his time with us, left to join Manchester United in January 2018.

He played 45 times for the Old Trafford club, scoring five goals, before departing for Internazionale.

Danny Welbeck

After a 13-year association with Manchester United - of which six were spent in the first-team squad - Danny joined us on transfer deadline day in the summer of 2014.

The versatile forward, who scored 29 times in 142 appearances for his hometown club, didn’t take long to adjust to life in London.

He helped us win the FA Cup in his first season, memorably scoring the winner at the home of his former club in the quarter-final - and he lifted the trophy again two years later after starting in the 2-1 final win against Chelsea.

Danny, a very popular member of the squad, recovered from suffering two serious knee injuries during his time with us before leaving for Watford at the end of the 2018/19 campaign, having scored 32 goals in 126 Arsenal matches.

Robin van Persie

Robin van Persie scored 132 goals in an eight-year spell with us, establishing himself as one of the Premier League’s foremost strikers.

Having started his career with Feyenoord in the Netherlands, the striker adapted quickly to England and won the FA Cup in his first season with us.

He scored what Arsene Wenger described as “the goal of a lifetime” - a thunderous acrobatic volley at Charlton Athletic in September 2006 - a strike that won him BBC’s Goal of the Month award.

Robin won the Golden Boot in 2011/12 - a season during which he was also named PFA Players’ Player of the Year, PFA Fans’ Player of the Year, FWA Footballer of the Year and Arsenal Player of the Season.

He left in the summer of 2012 to join Manchester United, with whom he lifted the Premier League the following year. He also won the Golden Boot.

Robin scored 58 times in all before leaving to join Fenerbahce in 2015.

Mikael Silvestre

A dependable and versatile defender, Mikael enjoyed a nine-season stay at Manchester United between 1999 and 2008.

A four-time Premier League winner, he joined us at the age of 31 and made 43 appearances during the following two campaigns.

In joining, Mikael became the first player to move directly between Arsenal and Manchester United since Viv Anderson in 1987. His first league for us came in a north London derby and he joined Werder Bremen in the summer of 2010.

Andrew Cole

A talented young forward, Andrew began his career in north London - but was limited to just two first-team appearances with us.

Having spent time on loan at Fulham and Bristol City, Andrew joined the latter on a permanent deal in the summer of 1992.

He signed for Manchester United in 1995, having scored 68 times in 84 appearances for Newcastle - and he wasted no time in acclimatising to his new club.

Andrew would win the Premier League five times while at Old Trafford and also lifted the Champions League in a six-year spell which saw him score 121 times.

Viv Anderson

A fine full-back, Viv became a Gunner in 1984 when he moved from hometown club Nottingham Forest - where he won the First Division in 1978 and the European Cup in the following two years.

The first black player to represent England in a full international, Viv was instrumental in helping us to win the League Cup in 1987, scoring in the semi-final second leg at Tottenham to help us eventually overturn a first-leg defeat.

After three years with us, Viv left to join Manchester United - whom he had represented as a schoolboy - becoming Sir Alex Ferguson’s first signing.

Frank Stapleton

A powerful forward, Frank started his career with us and scored 108 goals in 300 matches - with the highlight of his time at Highbury undoubtedly the 1979 FA Cup final.

Also a two-time Arsenal Player of the Season winner, Frank scored our second goal in The Five Minute Final, with Alan Sunderland’s late winner against Manchester United securing the Irish international’s first major honour.

He went on to join 1979’s beaten finalists two years later - and won the competition on two further occasions after making the move to Manchester.

Frank spent six years at Old Trafford in all, before departing for Ajax in 1987.

Brian Kidd

Manchester-born and bred, 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.

George Graham

A true Arsenal legend, George initially joined us from Chelsea in September 1966. Signed as a strike the r, he was top scorer in each of his first two seasons in north London before reverting to midfield under the guidance of Bertie Mee.

George had experienced disappointment in the finals of the League Cup in both 1968 and 1969 but didn’t have to wait much longer for his first winners’ medal with us - the 1970 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup.

He followed that with a league and FA Cup double in 1971 - a season during which we won the First Division at White Hart Lane before defeating Liverpool in the cup final, a match in which George excelled.

Having made 308 appearances for us, George left to join Manchester United in 1972 - but he would return to Highbury as our manager and would win plenty more honours...

Jimmy Rimmer

A substitute when Manchester United won the European Cup in 1968, Jimmy made the switch to north London in 1974, following an impressive loan spell at Swansea.

Signed as a replacement for the recently-retired Bob Wilson, Jimmy adapted well to life with us. He was named Arsenal Player of the Season in his first campaign and was selected to play for England a year later.

In all, he missed just three matches during the three years he spent with us, before departing for Aston Villa in 1977.

Ian Ure

Scottish defender Ian joined us in 1963, having impressed north of the border with Dundee.

Signed by Billy Wright while 23 years old, Ian missed just one match in his first season and was part of the squad that finished as beaten League Cup finalists in 1968 and 1969.

The centre-half featured 202 times during his six years in north London - before moving to Manchester United, with whom he would spend two years, in 1969.

David Herd

A prolific forward, David began his career with Stockport County - for whom he played alongside his dad, Alex - and moved to north London 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 our top scorer in four successive seasons and proved integral as we finished third in 1959.

David left to join Manchester United in 1961, having scored 107 goals in 180 appearances.

Caesar Jenkyns

Welsh centre half Caesar spent the 1895/96 season with us, having joined from Small Heath - now Birmingham City.

He captained us during that campaign and became our first international player. The defender made 27 appearances for us before making the move to Newton Heath - now Manchester United.

Our game against Manchester United in New Jersey kicks off at 10pm UK time on Saturday, July 22, and can be viewed on Arsenal.com or our official app by buying a Match Pass.