Top 10 Players Who Played for Both Liverpool and Arsenal

Jimmy Carter is probably the worst player on this list who has played for both Liverpool and Arsenal. The Englishman signed for Millwall in January 1991 for £800,000. Kenny Dalglish brought him to Anfield, but he resigned shortly afterwards, allowing Carter to sign for Arsenal that same year for £500,000. He only played 8 games for the Reds and 25 for Arsenal.

9. Alex Manninger

Alex Manninger / Alex Livesey/GettyImages

He arrived at the Emirates in the 1997/98 season as David Seaman’s substitute. The Englishman was injured and Manninger was called upon to cover him between the sticks. Manninger remained Seaman’s substitute for the following three seasons, in which he played 64 games. He later fell down the hierarchy and was loaned to Fiorentina in 2001. The Austrian international, with 33 caps, later signed for Torino and bounced around their European counterparts, eventually spending 4 seasons at Juventus. In 2016, He began training with Liverpool to stay fit and signed a short-term contract with the Merseyside side. After not having the opportunity to play, he announced his retirement on May 26, 2017.

8. Jermaine Pennant

The winger joined Arsenal at the age of 15 in 1999 and over the course of 7 years with the Gunners he only played 5 games as a starter and scored 3 goals. He was famous for being involved in off-field problems that were directly reflected in his performances with the team. The 24-time England Under-21 international was transferred to Birmingham City for £3 million in 2005. Liverpool signed him for £6.7 million. pounds a season later and played in 81 games, scoring just 3 league goals.

7. Yossi Benayoun

Yossi Benayoun/Etsuo Hara/GettyImages

In 2005, the midfielder signed a four-year contract with West Ham United worth £2.5 million. Two years later, Liverpool signed him for four years. Yossi made his debut with the Reds in the Champions League, in a match against Toulouse. A few days later, the footballer made his first appearance in the Premier League. A year later, Chelsea called him to sign a three-year contract worth 5.5 million pounds. Benayoun only made eight appearances for the Blues, scoring just one goal in the away game against Wigan. On August 31, 2011, the footballer was sent on loan to Arsenal until the end of the season. Yossi participated in 19 games (ten times as a starter and nine as a substitute) and scored four goals.

6. Nicolas Anelka

Anelka / David Ashdown/GettyImages

Nicolas Anelka wore the colors of Arsenal for 2 years. He was signed by Arsene Wenger during his first year as the club’s manager. Anelka won the Premier League in his second season with the Gunners, as well as the FA Cup and Charity Shield. He then went to Real Madrid for a transfer of 22.3 million pounds, with which Arsenal obtained significant benefits, since he was signed for only 500,000 pounds in 1997. The center forward moved around Europe and ended up on loan to Liverpool . He contributed to winning the Premier League title, but the then manager, Gerrard Houllier, decided not to give him a permanent contract.

5.

Kolo Toure / Ian MacNicol/GettyImages

Kolo Touré was signed from ASEC Mimosas for £150,000, and what an investment it turned out to be. Touré partnered Sol Campbell in the center of Arsenal’s defense and was the architect of the team’s unbeaten run in the 2003/04 Premier League season. He later formed a solid partnership with Senderos and led the team to the final of the UEFA Champions League against Barcelona in 2006. After 7 years of service, he demanded a transfer. Manchester City signed him for £14 million and won the league with him in 2011/12, despite only using him as a squad player. Liverpool answered his call a year later, when the Citizens were beginning to empty the club’s ranks in search of younger, more expensive players.

4. Ray Kennedy

Ray Kennedy is an Arsenal hero of the 60s and 70s, who won every national title with the club and also with Liverpool. The center forward scored 71 goals in 272 games for the Gunners. He signed his first professional contract with the north London side in 1968 and later won the First Division title in 1971. After six seasons, Kennedy was transferred to Liverpool for a record £200,000. The Englishman became league champion 5 times with the Reds and won the European Cup 3 times. He hung up his boots after spells with Swansea City, Hartlepool United and, finally, Ashington.

3. Geoff Strong

Another great scoring figure for Arsenal who was great at the club, but a decade before Ray Kennedy. Geoff Strong was born in Kirkheaton and was scouted by Stanley United in 1957. He made his debut against Newcastle United in 1960 and went on to score 77 goals in 137 games. Arsenal did not have much success during that period and Strong was sold to Liverpool for £40,000. in 1964. The forward won the FA Cup in 1965 and the Division title in 1966.

2. Michael Thomas

Michael Thomas / Clive Brunskill/GettyImages

Thomas was born in Lambeth, London, and grew up a Tottenham Hotspur fan. He signed for rivals Arsenal as a schoolboy in 1982. He became a regular for the club from 1987 and made 208 appearances in 7 years. He took part in a decisive match in the 1988/89 season between Arsenal and Liverpool. The Gunners needed two goals to become champions of England, and Thomas scored the winning goal in the last attack, in added time, which gave Arsenal the league title after 18 years. After an argument with George Graham , Thomas was transferred to Liverpool in December 1991. He played another 7 years with the Reds before joining Coventry City for £800,000.

1. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain / Shaun Botterill/GettyImages

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is the most recent player to switch allegiance from Arsenal to Liverpool. He showed great creative potential, but was never able to break a pattern of nagging injuries to establish himself as a starter. Arsène Wenger allowed Oxlade-Chamberlain to prove his worth in several positions, including centre-half and even full-back. The Portsmouth-born player became increasingly frustrated with Wenger and was looking for more game time elsewhere. He made 198 appearances for Arsenal before joining Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool in the summer of 2017.