Some of football’s biggest transfers have occurred between Premier League clubs, and the Arsenal-Man City divide has been crossed in a few of those.
Pre-Sheikh Mansour, City would have been laughed all the way back to Maine Road if they tried to poach one of Arsenal’s top-performing players. But, since that power-shifting takeover in 2008, City have become an attractive proposition for superstars already established at elite clubs.
That’s not to say City never once signed a player from Arsenal before their Emirati owner bankrolled a conquest to Premier League supremacy. But these were often fringe players or castaways. The complexion from 2003 to 2023 is very different indeed.
Currently, these clubs are one and the same. Two titans competing for the title. And on Wednesday night they collide at the Etihad for a mammoth six-pointer in the Premier League title race. It’s season-defining, possibly even club-defining.
Ahead of the clash, we’ve revisited the players City have signed from Arsenal in the Premier League over the years. This trip down memory lane really illustrates City’s progression from a yo-yo club in the 90s — dropping as far as League One in 1998 — to one of English football’s biggest powerhouses.
Eddie McGoldrick
- Signed for: £300,000
- Signed in: 1996
- Arsenal appearances: 49
- Man City appearances: 41
Having played with Ian Wright at Crystal Palace at gained promotion to the top flight in 1989, Eddie McGoldrick eventually found his way to Highbury with the Arsenal legend in 1993. The 15-capped Republic of Ireland international spent three years in north London, during which time he was part of the club’s Uefa Cup Winners’ Cup success in 1994, appearing in the final win over Parma under George Graham.
In 1996, McGoldrick moved to then second-tier City and played under four managers during his maiden campaign at Maine Road: Asa Hartford, Alan Ball, Steve Coppell and Frank Clark. The following season City were relegated to the third tier and McGoldrick scarcely featured as Joe Royle’s men won the pay-offs over Tony Pulis’ Gillingham before being sold on.
Paul Dickov
- Signed for: £1m
- Signed in: 1996
- Arsenal appearances: 22
- Man City appearances: 182
A teammate of McGoldrick’s at Arsenal, Paul Dickov moved to City in the same transfer window and was a part of the side that spiralled down the footballing ladder. Down the divisions, Dickov was a key part of the supporting cast for goal-getter Shaun Goater, and he formed an impressive attacking understanding with the Bermudan under Royle, eventually helping the club reach the Premier League in 2000. Following City’s relegation in 2002, though, he moved on to Leicester City but eventually found his way back to City in 2006 via Blackburn Rovers. And he remained there until 2008 when everything changed for the club.
David Seaman
- Signed for: Free transfer
- Signed in: 2003
- Arsenal appearances: 521
- Man City appearances: 26
Arsene Wenger wanted to keep David Seaman in 2003 and offered him a one-year extension in north London. The Gunners legend was informed that he wouldn’t be first choice though and as such, a then 39-year-old Seaman shook hands after 13 years of service at Arsenal and signed for Man City under Kevin Keegan. The City boss needed a replacement for Peter Schmeichel and picked up the veteran shot-stopper as a short-term answer to his No. 1 quandary. The pony-tailed gloveman played a season in Manchester but announced his retirement in January of that season at the age of 40 due to injury.
Emmanuel Adebayor
- Signed for: £25m
- Signed in: 2009
- Arsenal appearances: 142
- Man City appearances: 45
The first big statement of City’s intent to usurp Arsenal in the Premier League food chain. The 2008/09 summer was the initial splurge from City as they secured players like Robinho, Jo and Shaun Wright-Phillips, but the following summer really saw the club flex their financial might. Mark Hughes made several major signings, one of whom was Emmanuel Adebayor from Arsenal for £25m.
After three years in north London, the former Togo international had established himself as one of the most potent centre-forwards across Europe, bagging 24 Premier League goals in the 2007/08 campaign. His stint in Manchester was brief, but it remains shrouded in infamy for one of the greatest matches in Premier League history, in which Adebayor played the protagonist.
Against former club Arsenal on matchday four at the Etihad, City ran out 4-2 victors, with Adebayor famously scoring 10 minutes from time and running the entire length of the pitch to celebrate in front of the away fans. His goading prompted mass uproar from the Arsenal fans and accusations of violent play — including a stamp on Robin van Persie’s face — were proclaimed every which way after the match by Arsenal players.
Adebayor was suspended for two games and fined £25,000 by the FA later but the racist abuse he later revealed as his reason for the celebration went unpunished.
Kolo Toure
- Signed for: £16m
- Signed in: 2009
- Arsenal appearances: 326
- Man City appearances: 102
Kolo Toure joined City to bring a bit of stability and authority to the backline. With a squad stocking up on big attacking names, Hughes needed a few experienced and battle-hardened heads to balance the broth. Toure was deemed as one of those.
The Arsenal Invincible was appointed as the club captain by Hughes, but Roberto Mancini eventually gave the armband to Carlos Tevez. Even so, the hard-nosed centre-back stayed for four years, beefed up the backline and contributed as the club famously lifted their first top-flight title in 44 years in 2011/12.
Gael Clichy
- Signed for: £10m
- Signed in: 2011
- Arsenal appearances: 264
- Man City appearances: 203
Of course, it wasn’t just the summer of 2009 when City would plunder the ranks of Arsenal. Two years later, the club would once again go on a shopping spree in the capital. Gael Clichy joined the club for around £10m in 2011 after eight years in red and white, and went on to help City establish itself as a neo-powerhouse in England. The French left-back won two Premier League titles during his six years in the North West and made over 200 appearances before joining Istanbul Basaksehir in 2017.
Samir Nasri
- Signed for: £24m
- Signed in: 2011
- Arsenal appearances: 125
- Man City appearances: 176
Samir Nasri was the archetypal Arsenal player during the Wenger years: technically majestic, ethereal, fleet-footed, and creatively superb. So of course, City snapped him up for a king’s ransom at the time. The mercurial playmaker spent six years at the Etihad and claimed two Premier League titles in that time, but he fell massively down the pecking order towards the latter stages of his career.
He eventually left for Antalyaspor where, in 2018, he received a doping ban. The Frenchman returned to football in 2019 with West Ham and will be remembered at the club for playing a blinder in a 1-0 win over Arsenal on his debut, setting up Declan Rice in the 48th minute.
Bacary Sagna
- Signed for: Free transfer
- Signed in: 2014
- Arsenal appearances: 284
- Man City appearances: 86
Now under the auspices of Manuel Pellegrini, you would have to say that the 2014/15 transfer window was a disaster for City. But Bacary Sagna’s signature on a free transfer looked shrewd business at the time. Having rejected a contract extension at Arsenal, Sagna was City’s first summer signing in 2014 and immediately inherited the No. 3 shirt. Unfortunately for Sagna, though, he scarcely featured in that first campaign, with Pablo Zabaleta proving immovable at right-back. He would only hang around for three years before being released in 2017. Other signings from that season include Eliaquim Mangala, Wilfried Bony, Bruno Zuculini and Fernando, none of whom made a huge impact at City.