Arsenal are closing in on signing Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga following his much-needed loan spell at Bournemouth during the 2024/25 season.
Kepa has not played for Chelsea in a competitive game since 2023, with it becoming very apparent that his playing days at Stamford Bridge are over.
Enzo Maresca ended Kepa’s Chelsea career by admitting he had no future at the club, and it looks like the Blues have been handed the perfect opportunity to shift a significant amount off their wage bill.
There has been a steady stream of players making the move across London to the Emirates recently, with many not reaching the heights that they did playing in Blue.
The Chelsea Chronicle have compiled a list of the players whose career did not work out in West London, who were then given another chance to make things work at Arsenal.
Raheem Sterling
Maresca dropped Raheem Sterling on the opening day of last season, forcing his hand to move away from the club if he wanted first team football throughout the campaign.
Mikel Arteta offered him Champions League football while the Blues competed in the Conference League, however was not able to make an impact that will see his loan deal become permanent.
In 28 appearances, mostly off the bench, the Englishman scored just one goal as he now must contemplate saying goodbye to top-level Premier League football.
Kai Havertz
Despite scoring the winning goal in the 2021 Champions League final, Chelsea fans were left frustrated by Kai Havertz during his time at Stamford Bridge.
Therefore, there were not many complaints when the German was signed for big money by Arsenal, despite the prospect of strengthening a direct Premier League rival.
It is fair to say that Havertz is playing his best Premier League football since ditching the Blues, however those at Chelsea will also be far happier with their attack since his departure.
Jorginho
Jorginho enjoyed a very successful spell at Chelsea, however it became clear that their midfield was heading another direction following the signing of Enzo Fernandez, and later Moises Caicedo.
This saw the Italy international leave the Blues after five strong years with the club, moving directly to Arsenal to bring experience to Arteta’s ranks.
He played a bit-part role at the Emirates before it was announced that he would be moving on this summer, likely away from England.
Willian
Willian played 37 games in his only season at Arsenal, although only scored one goal in his time there, with that coming on the opening day of the season.
A brilliant Stamford Bridge career has not hit the same heights since his exit, with his best stuff recently actually coming during his time at Fulham.
The Brazilian always receives a positive ovation from Chelsea fans for his contributions during his time there, although his time at Arsenal he would likely rather forget.
David Luiz
After two stints at Chelsea, David Luiz was the first of the players to be signed by Mikel Arteta from the club.
His time at Stamford Bridge is looked on positively, particularly his first spell, however was guilty of a number of poor performances while in North London.
Ultimately, Luiz was the face of a number of players Arsenal desperately needed to move away from in order to get to the point of challenging again at the top of the Premier League.
Lassana Diarra
Lassana Diarra was brought in to learn from Claude Makelele at the heart of Chelsea’s midfield, however had departed after just two years at the club.
Diarra became Arsenal’s number eight after a move on summer deadline day in 2007, although things were not much more positive during his time there.
The France international would have to wait for a move to Real Madrid to really get his career started, but he did kick off the list of players who did not succeed at Arsenal following spells at Chelsea.
