Gabriel Jesus has become the 16th name on the list of all players who played for both Arsenal and Barcelona, following a path previously taken by Thierry Henry, Cesc Fàbregas and several other major stars.
The Brazilian completed his move to Camp Nou on deadline day in September 2026, bringing an injury-hit four-year spell in north London to an end. Barcelona reportedly paid around €10 million for the 29-year-old, who signed a contract until June 2029.
Of the 16 players who played for both Arsenal and Barcelona, ten of the most notable established names are examined in detail below. Gabriel Jesus receives a separate update, while the remaining five appear in the Others section.
Statistics include senior competitive appearances in all competitions and were last updated on 3 September 2026.
Gabriel Jesus: The Newest Arsenal-Barcelona Connection
- Arsenal: 2022–2026 (Apps: 123 | Goals: 32), Barcelona: 2026–present (Apps: 0 | Goals: 0)
Jesus arrived at Arsenal from Manchester City in 2022 and immediately changed the tone of Mikel Arteta’s attack. His pressing, movement and willingness to drift away from the centre-forward position helped bring Arsenal’s younger forwards into the game.
The problem was availability. A knee injury suffered at the 2022 World Cup disrupted his first season, while a serious injury against Manchester United in January 2025 caused another lengthy absence. By his final campaign, Jesus had slipped behind Kai Havertz and Viktor Gyökeres in the attacking order and started only three Premier League matches.
That context explains why Barcelona could sign a forward of his experience for a relatively modest fee. The move is a gamble on his fitness, but it is not an unreasonable one. Jesus can play across the front line, understands possession-based football and has already worked successfully under Pep Guardiola.
Jesus is therefore treated as the 16th player in this updated list of all players who played for both Arsenal and Barcelona.
1. Thierry Henry
- Arsenal: 1999–2007, 2012 (Apps: 377 | Goals: 228), Barcelona: 2007–2010 (Apps: 121 | Goals: 49)
No player represents this connection more powerfully than Thierry Henry. At Arsenal, he developed from a winger whose Juventus career had stalled into one of the finest centre-forwards in Premier League history.
Henry won two league titles and two FA Cups, led the Invincibles’ attack and became Arsenal’s record goalscorer. His 228 goals remain the benchmark against which every subsequent Arsenal striker has been measured.
He was no longer the central figure after moving to Barcelona, but his time in Spain was far more than a decorative final chapter. Henry scored 26 goals in all competitions during the 2008/09 campaign and formed a devastating front three with Lionel Messi and Samuel Eto’o.
Barcelona won La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Champions League that season. Henry was the greater individual force at Arsenal, but he gained the European Cup that had eluded him in north London.
2. Cesc Fàbregas
- Arsenal: 2003–2011 (Apps: 303 | Goals: 57), Barcelona: 2011–2014 (Apps: 151 | Goals: 42)
Cesc Fàbregas left Barcelona’s academy at 16 and grew up quickly at Arsenal. By 21, he was club captain; by the time he returned to Catalonia, he had already made more than 300 appearances for the Gunners.
His Arsenal years showcased the full range of his passing. Fàbregas could dictate play from deep, operate behind the forwards or decide a match with one vertical pass. What the team could not provide consistently was silverware, with the 2005 FA Cup his only major trophy at the club.
Returning to Barcelona should have represented the perfect homecoming. The reality was more complicated. Fàbregas produced respectable numbers and won six trophies, including La Liga, but never completely settled into a midfield already shaped around Xavi, Andrés Iniesta and Sergio Busquets.
He succeeded at both clubs, although Arsenal received the more complete and influential version of the player.
3. Alexis Sánchez
- Barcelona: 2011–2014 (Apps: 141 | Goals: 47), Arsenal: 2014–2018 (Apps: 166 | Goals: 80)
Alexis Sánchez was already an accomplished Barcelona forward before joining Arsenal. He scored 47 times for the Catalan club and produced arguably his most memorable Barça goal with an audacious finish against Real Madrid in 2013.
Yet Barcelona was Lionel Messi’s team, and Alexis often had to adapt his game around more dominant attacking figures. At Arsenal, he was given the freedom to become the main event.
The Chilean combined relentless running with individual quality, scoring 80 goals in 166 appearances. He was outstanding in the 2015 and 2017 FA Cup-winning campaigns and scored in both finals.
His Arsenal departure eventually became messy, but that should not obscure the level he reached. Of all the players who played for both Arsenal and Barcelona, few improved their individual status as dramatically after switching clubs.
4. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
- Arsenal: 2018–2022 (Apps: 163 | Goals: 92), Barcelona: 2022 (Apps: 24 | Goals: 13)
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s Arsenal story contained both a brilliant peak and an uncomfortable ending. He shared the Premier League Golden Boot in 2018/19 before almost carrying Arsenal to the 2020 FA Cup on his own, scoring twice in both the semi-final and final.
Making him captain initially appeared to confirm his position as the face of the team. Within two years, disciplinary issues had damaged his relationship with Arteta and Arsenal terminated his contract.
Barcelona benefited immediately. Aubameyang joined on a free transfer and scored 13 goals in 24 appearances, including two in a 4–0 Clásico victory at the Bernabéu.
His stay lasted only half a season, but it was an excellent piece of short-term recruitment. Aubameyang was prolific at both clubs, even if neither relationship was built to last.
5. Marc Overmars
- Arsenal: 1997–2000 (Apps: 142 | Goals: 41), Barcelona: 2000–2004 (Apps: 141 | Goals: 19)
Marc Overmars provided the speed and directness that helped transform Arsène Wenger’s first great Arsenal side. His most famous contribution came at Old Trafford in March 1998, when his goal against Manchester United shifted the title race firmly in Arsenal’s direction.
The Gunners completed a league and FA Cup double that season. Two years later, Barcelona paid a substantial fee to sign both Overmars and Emmanuel Petit.
Overmars remained dangerous in Spain and accumulated 141 appearances, but Barcelona never saw him at his destructive Arsenal best. Injuries became increasingly frequent, while the club passed through a turbulent period without winning a major trophy during his four seasons.
His move still made financial sense for Arsenal. On the pitch, however, the deal clearly worked better for the selling club.
6. Emmanuel Petit
- Arsenal: 1997–2000 (Apps: 118 | Goals: 11), Barcelona: 2000–2001 (Apps: 38 | Goals: 1)
Emmanuel Petit arrived at Arsenal as a defender and was repositioned in midfield, where his partnership with Patrick Vieira gave Wenger’s team power, balance and technical security.
He was an integral part of the 1997/98 double-winning side and followed that club success by scoring in France’s World Cup final victory over Brazil. At his peak, Petit was one of Europe’s most complete midfielders.
His Barcelona career could hardly have been more different. Injuries disrupted his only season, while he was sometimes used in defence rather than his preferred midfield role. He later spoke openly about finding it difficult to settle into the club and the surrounding environment.
Petit returned to England with Chelsea after only 38 appearances. Among the major names shared by Arsenal and Barcelona, his spell in Catalonia ranks as one of the clearest failures.
7. Giovanni van Bronckhorst
- Arsenal: 2001–2003 (Apps: 64 | Goals: 2), Barcelona: 2003–2007 (Apps: 155 | Goals: 7)
Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s Arsenal career was interrupted by a serious knee injury and never quite developed as expected. He remained a useful squad member and was part of a title-winning group, but rarely looked indispensable.
Barcelona unlocked a more effective version of him. Initially arriving on loan, Van Bronckhorst was converted into a dependable left-back and became a regular under Frank Rijkaard.
He won two La Liga titles and started the 2006 Champions League final against Arsenal, completing the full match as Barcelona came from behind to win 2–1 in Paris.
Unlike several players on this list, Van Bronckhorst became more important after leaving north London. His Barcelona spell turned a respected midfielder into a European champion and an accomplished full-back.
8. Wojciech Szczęsny
- Arsenal: 2009–2017 (Apps: 181 | Goals: 0), Barcelona: 2024–present (Apps: 42 | Goals: 0)
Wojciech Szczęsny’s route to Barcelona was unlike any other on this list. He had already retired after leaving Juventus when a serious injury to Marc-André ter Stegen persuaded Barcelona to bring him back into football.
At Arsenal, Szczęsny established himself as the first-choice goalkeeper and shared the 2013/14 Premier League Golden Glove. His talent was never seriously in doubt, although moments of inconsistency and disciplinary problems prevented him from becoming the long-term solution many expected.
He returned from retirement to win a starting place at Barcelona and contributed to the club’s domestic treble in 2024/25. His calmness and experience were particularly useful in a young team, earning him a contract extension until 2027.
Now operating as experienced cover, Szczęsny has already made his unlikely comeback worthwhile. Few would have predicted a successful Barcelona chapter when his Arsenal career ended with consecutive loans to Roma.
9. Héctor Bellerín
- Arsenal: 2013–2022 (Apps: 239 | Goals: 9), Barcelona: 2022–2023 (Apps: 7 | Goals: 0)
Héctor Bellerín began at La Masia but built his senior reputation in England. His acceleration made him an immediate attacking threat from right-back, while his performances in 2015/16 earned him a place in the PFA Team of the Year.
Bellerín won three FA Cups with Arsenal and made 239 competitive appearances. A serious knee injury in 2019 robbed him of some of his speed, however, and he gradually lost his place before leaving for Real Betis on loan.
His return to Barcelona appeared romantic: the academy graduate was finally going to represent the senior team. In practice, it lasted only seven games. Bellerín struggled for minutes and moved to Sporting CP halfway through the season.
Barcelona fulfilled a personal ambition, but his meaningful body of work was produced almost entirely at Arsenal.
10. Alexander Hleb
- Arsenal: 2005–2008 (Apps: 130 | Goals: 10), Barcelona: 2008–2009 (Apps: 36 | Goals: 0)
Alexander Hleb’s numbers never captured his importance to Arsenal. The Belarusian was a subtle, press-resistant midfielder whose close control and combination play helped connect Wenger’s young team.
His finest Arsenal season came in 2007/08, when the Gunners played some of their best post-Invincibles football and challenged for the Premier League title. Hleb’s decision to join Barcelona that summer looked like a natural upward step.
Instead, he became a peripheral player during Pep Guardiola’s first season. Hleb started only 19 matches, failed to score and subsequently spent several seasons away on loan while remaining under contract with Barcelona.
He technically collected medals from a treble-winning campaign, but made little impact on it. Hleb later acknowledged that leaving Arsenal had been a mistake, making his career one of the sharpest success-to-failure contrasts in the list.
Others Players Who Played for Both Arsenal and Barcelona
| Player | Arsenal | Barcelona |
|---|---|---|
| Alex Song | 2006–2012 204 apps, 10 goals |
2012–2014 65 apps, 1 goal |
| Thomas Vermaelen | 2009–2014 150 apps, 15 goals |
2014–2019 53 apps, 1 goal |
| Sylvinho | 1999–2001 80 apps, 5 goals |
2004–2009 128 apps, 3 goals |
| Denis Suárez | 2019 6 apps, 0 goals |
2016–2019 71 apps, 8 goals |
| Neto | 2024–2025 1 app, 0 goals |
2019–2022 21 apps, 0 goals |
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How many players have played for both Arsenal and Barcelona?
A: Gabriel Jesus is counted as the 16th male player associated with both Arsenal and Barcelona following his permanent move to Camp Nou in September 2026. The other 15 players on the list have already made competitive senior appearances for both clubs.
Q: Who was the most successful player for both Arsenal and Barcelona?
A: Thierry Henry has the strongest combined case. He is Arsenal’s record goalscorer and won two Premier League titles, while his Barcelona career included La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Champions League as part of the historic 2008/09 treble.
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