12 players have pulled on the shirt of both Arsenal and Barcelona, although most pull on the Arsenal shirt first.

There haven’t been too many transfers between Arsenal and Barcelona where the player has featured for the first team of both clubs, and even fewer if you just concentrate on players Arsenal have signed from the Spaniards.

Alexis Sanchez

(Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

Alexis Sanchez arrived in Arsenal in 2014 and was a sensation. Until his head got turned by Manchester City, that is.

Although that move never materialised due to City playing games, Alexis never recovered his form in England. In fact, it could be argued it just got worse (five goals, nine assists in 45 appearances for Man United) and never picked up even in Italy (20 goals, 23 assists, 109 appearances).

Now in Ligue 1 with Marseille, Alexis has six goals in his first 13 appearances.

Denis Suarez

HUDDERSFIELD, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 09: Denis Suárez of Arsenal during the Premier League match between Huddersfield Town and Arsenal FC at John Smith’s Stadium on February 09, 2019 in Huddersfield, United Kingdom. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)

Yeah, I forget he played for Arsenal, too.

A few days after he returned to Barcelona from his loan with Arsenal, where he made just six appearances, Suarez was sold to Celta Vigo who are now accusing him of trying to harm the club by not leaving.

He has been excluded from the first team and has not played a single minute this season.

Cesc Fabregas

LONDON, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 04: Cesc Fabregas of Arsenal celebrates scoring his second and the teams the third goal of the game during the UEFA Champions League Group H match between Arsenal and AZ Alkmaar at the Emirates Stadium on November 4, 2009 in London, England. (Photo by Phil Cole/Getty Images)

If you need me to write words about Cesc Fabregas, Arsenal and Barcelona may I suggest you aren’t an Arsenal fan.

Marc Overmars

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM: Barcelona winger Marc Overmars battles with Arsenal defender Gilles Grimandi (L) during a testimonial match for Arsenal and England Goalkeeper David Seamen at Highbury, 22 May 2001. Picture: GERRY PENNY/AFP/Getty Images

Although he picked up another director of football job pretty quickly, Marc Overmars was recently in the headlines for being a harasser of the sexual type and that’s all I have to say about him.

Thierry Henry

Arsenal’s French player Thierry Henry, on loan from New York Red Bulls, celebrates scoring a goal during the third round FA Cup football match between Arsenal and Leeds United at The Emirates Stadium in London, on January 9, 2012. AFP (Photo credit IAN KINGTON/AFP via Getty Images)

We never wanted him to leave but by the time Henry signed for Barcelona in 2007, he had earned the right to go wherever he wanted.

Alex Song

Barcelona’s Cameroonian midfielder Alex Song celebrates during a ceremony at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona on May 19, 2013 after winning the Spanish League title. Barcelona celebrated lifting the La Liga trophy for a 22nd time with a 2-1 win over Valladolid. (LLUIS GENE/AFP/Getty Images)

Alex Song has spoken previously about how he couldn’t turn down the money on offer for this move even though he knew he wouldn’t play much in Spain and, to be honest, can you blame him?

In the end, he played 65 times for Barcelona, averaging just over an hour per appearance.

The move blew up his career which never recovered. Since leaving Arsenal, Song has also played for West Ham, Rubin Kazan and FC Sion.

Now 35, Song plays for AS Arta/Solar7 in Djibouti in East Africa, a country with a population around half of Northern Ireland’s 1.88m.

Thomas Vermaelen

BARCELONA, SPAIN – AUGUST 10: Thomas Vermaelen poses as he is unveiled as a new player for FC Barcelona at the Camp Nou stadium on August 10, 2014 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

Vermaelen retired from playing at the start of 2022 after three years in Japan with Vissel Kobe.

The centreback left Arsenal in 2009 for Barcelona but injuries restricted him to just 53 appearances over five seasons.

A move to Roma on loan in 2016 saw him make 12 appearances before he left to join Lukas Podolski on a free transfer.

Aleksandr Hleb

LONDON – JANUARY 02: Alexander Hleb of Arsenal is tackled by Jerome Thomas of Charlton Athletic during the Barclays Premiership match between Arsenal and Charlton Athletic at the Emirates Stadium on January 2, 2007 in London, England. (Photo by Phil Cole/Getty Images)

Aleksandr Hleb paid a heavy price for a secret meeting at an ice cream parlour when Arsenal were in Italy for a Champions League game.

That meeting convinced him to leave Arsenal, the ‘club of my heart,’ for Barcelona in 2008, a move he has regretted ever since.

Just 36 appearances for Barcelona were followed by spells with VfbB Stuttgart, Birmingham, Wolfsburg, KS Samara (twice), BATE Borisov (four times), Konyaspor, Genclerbirligi, and finally, Isloch in Minsk where he retired in 2020, aged 39.

Hleb reportedly came out of retirement when he was 40 to play for Bahrain’s Al Khaldiya, a club only formed seven months after Hleb initially hung up his boots.

https://twitter.com/Infogenuino/status/1413124170263760904

There is little to indicate he actually did play for them.

Emmanuel Petit

2 May 2000: Emmanuel Petit of Arsenal celebrates scoring the winning goal in the last minute during the match between Arsenal and West Ham United in the FA Carling Premiership at Highbury, London. Mandatory Credit: Laurence Griffiths/ALLSPORT

Petit was at Arsenal for four years before he was sold to Barcelona for £13.5m who sold him to Chelsea the following year for £10.35m.

Hector Bellerin

NUREMBERG, GERMANY: Hector Bellerin of Arsenal is challenged by Christoph Daferner and Johannes Geis of 1. FC Nuernberg during the pre-season friendly match between 1. FC Nürnberg and Arsenal F.C. at Max-Morlock-Stadion on July 08, 2022. (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)

Bellerin finally fulfilled his dream of playing for Barcelona when he signed a one-year deal with them this summer to bide his time until Real Betis can afford his wages.

A child of Barca’s academy, Bellerin was a huge fan favourite at Arsenal.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang with Arsenal (Photo via Getty Images)

Another Barcelona took from Arsenal only to sell to Chelsea shortly after, Auba’s antics should be so fresh in your mind you don’t need me to go over them.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst

Now manager of Rangers, Giovanni van Bronckhorst is one of only a few players to leave Arsenal for Barcelona and actually make it work. He played 154 times for them, after just 65 with Arsenal and 32 with Rangers where Arsenal bought him for £12.15m

12 players who played for Arsenal and Barcelona