Arsenal's Chelsea obsession is getting ridiculous

Noni Madueke's transfer has split Arsenal fans and that's putting it quite mildly. Rumours of a special transfer relationship between the two clubs have emerged due to a perception of increased business between the two clubs.

Chelsea and Arsenal have officially traded 18 players between them in 136 years. When Madueke arrives at The Emirates, he will become only the 19th player to move between the two London clubs in over a century. So what's got fans so riled up lately?

The signing of Kepa and Madueke signals a first for Arsenal

The signing of Madueke and Kepa this summer signifies a first for Arsenal. Never before have they signed two players from Chelsea in the same season and fans are worried that there is a trend forming. There is. But, it's Chelsea who should be worried about it.

63% (12/19) of transfers between Arsenal and Chelsea have occurred during the Premier League era (1992). Of the 12 deals, 10 have involved players leaving Stamford Bridge for Arsenal and only two have seen players going in the opposite direction (Ashley Cole/Olivier Giroud). Half of those 12 signings (including loan deals) have happened in the last six years.

Inspecting the dozen transfers collectively, the selling club usually sells to the club that subsequently finishes higher in the table. For example, Arsenal's signing of Kai Havertz from Chelsea in 2023 saw the Gunners finish above the Blues in both 2024 and 2025. The same can be said about the signing of Jorginho.

Petr Cech signing: a clear indication of Chelsea's decline

When Petr Cech arrived from Chelsea in 2015, it was a clear sign of Chelsea's decline and Arsenal's ascendency. Arsenal finished second that year. Chelsea finished a lowly 10th!

In contrast, Chelsea's signing of Olivier Giroud contributed to the Stamford Bridge outfit finishing one place above Arsenal the following season.

Possibly the most significant deal between the two clubs in recent times was the selling of Ashley Cole to Chelsea in 2006. That sale nearly cost Arsenal a Champions League place, while Chelsea went on to finish runners-up.

Willian and Luiz signings were anomalies

For Arsenal, the signings of Willian and David Luiz are perhaps the anomolies. Both players were at the base of an Arsenal team that lost it's way and finished eighth in both 2020 and 2021. However, Willian and Luiz were brought in to improve the starting line-up and not to be squad players like Madueke and Kepa could be.

In raw terms, Noni Madueke cost Chelsea in the region of £29 million when he was signed from PSV in January 2023. His transfer to Arsenal for a reported fee of £52 million means that the Blues will net a cool 79% approx. profit on Madueke.

Now if that irks you as an Arsenal fan, consider this. When Chelsea sold George Graham to Arsenal in January 2023, they made 773% profit on the sale. Not only that, they got Tommy Baldwin thrown in for good measure. That's the profit equivalent of Madueke costing Arsenal £242 million with Kai Havertz going the other way on a free.

Imagine that. Instagram and X would literally explode.