The players to have represented three or more Big Six clubs

Raheem Sterling has signed for Arsenal on loan from London rivals Chelsea, with the winger’s illustrious career in the Premier League continuing with another stop at one of Europe’s elite.

Sterling will become just the second player to have represented four of the Premier League’s ‘Big Six’ clubs and one of only seven to have played for three or more of Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham.

The players to have represented three or more ‘Big Six’ clubs

Nicolas Anelka

Nicolas Anelka’s nomadic career took the French forward to all corners of the globe, though his best football was produced in the Premier League. Arsenal snapped up the exciting teenager from Paris Saint-Germain and Anelka announced his arrival in English football almost immediately.

He won a domestic double during his first full season with Arsenal, before scoring 17 league goals in 1998/99 to win the PFA Young Player of the Year award and earn a big-money move to Real Madrid.

Anelka returned to the Premier League, via PSG, to join Liverpool on loan in 2001/02 and later had spells at Manchester City, Fenerbahce, Bolton, Chelsea, Shanghai Shenhua, Juventus, West Brom and Mumbai City.

The most settled spell of his career came at Chelsea, where he won the Premier League’s Golden Boot in 2008/09 and a Premier League and FA Cup double the following season.

Noughties Nines: Nicolas Anelka – Sullen and spectacular

William Gallas

William Gallas crossed capital divides during a long spell in the Premier League. The French defender joined Chelsea from Marseille in 2001 and made 225 appearances for the Blues. He won back-to-back Premier League titles under Jose Mourinho but moved to Arsenal as part of a swap deal involving Ashley Cole after becoming unsettled with playing full-back.

Gallas was named captain during his four seasons at Arsenal, though he received criticism for negative comments aimed at the club’s inexperienced dressing room. After leaving the Emirates, he made a controversial free transfer move to arch-rivals Spurs and spent three seasons with the Lilywhites.

Yossi Benayoun

Yossi Benayoun turned out for five Premier League clubs, including three of the ‘Big Six’. The Israeli signed for Liverpool from West Ham and proved to be a useful squad player for Rafael Benitez’s side, memorably scoring a Champions League hat-trick in an 8-0 thrashing of Besiktas and a famous winner against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu.

He joined Chelsea in a £5.5m deal in 2010 but struggled to cement a regular role in the side. In search of first-team football, he joined Arsenal on loan for the 2011/12 season.

Emmanuel Adebayor

Emmanuel Adebayor made his name at Arsenal after arriving from AS Monaco for a modest fee of £3m in January 2006. The Togolese target-man excelled following the departure of Thierry Henry and scored 24 league goals in 2007/08 to finish as runner-up to Cristiano Ronaldo for the Premier League’s Golden Boot.

Adebayor made a controversial £25m move to Manchester City in 2009 and famously celebrated an early-season goal against Arsenal wildly at the Etihad.

He scored 19 goals in 45 appearances for the Citizens, before departing for Spurs after a short loan spell at Real Madrid. Adebayor scored 42 goals in 113 appearances during a productive return to North London.

Kolo Toure

Kolo Toure ranks as one of Arsenal’s greatest buys of the Premier League era after being snapped up for a fee of just £150,000 from ASEC Mimosas. The Ivorian formed a solid partnership with Sol Campbell as Arsenal won the Premier League without losing a game in 2003/04, before reaching the Champions League final in 2006.

He joined Manchester City for a fee of £14m in 2009 and was part of the team that won drought-breaking silverware with FA Cup success in 2011 and a first Premier League title in 2011/12.

Toure signed for Liverpool on a free transfer after leaving the Etihad, where he made 71 appearances across three seasons.

Iconic Duos: Campbell and Toure, Arsenal’s immovable Turbo Trains

Daniel Sturridge

Daniel Sturridge emerged from the Manchester City academy to much excitement but was unable to break into the team regularly. He signed for Chelsea after just 26 appearances for the Citizens and won the Premier League, two FA Cups and the Champions League at Stamford Bridge.

However, competition for places restricted Sturridge to a bit-part role and he joined Liverpool in search of increased opportunities in January 2013. Sturridge produced the finest football of his career with the Reds, where he finished as runner-up to teammate Luis Suarez for the Golden Boot in 2013/14 after a scintillating season in partnership.

Injuries decimated his latter seasons with Liverpool, though he lifted the Champions League during his final season at Anfield.

Iconic Duos: Suarez and Sturridge – Liverpool’s ‘SAS’

Raheem Sterling

Raheem Sterling’s career will take in a fourth stop at a ‘Big Six’ team after completing a loan move to Arsenal from Chelsea.

Sterling burst onto the scene as a teenager at Liverpool, where his electric performances persuaded Manchester City to spend £49m on his services in 2015. He evolved into an effective goalscoring presence under Pep Guardiola and won four league titles among his honours at the Etihad.

After seven seasons, 131 goals, and 10 major trophies, Sterling signed for Chelsea in 2022. His two seasons in West London proved to be underwhelming, however, with the 29-year-old deemed surplus to requirements this summer. Arsenal will hope to coax the best from Sterling this season, as he looks to recapture the heights that saw him named FWA Footballer of the Year in 2018/19.

Read – Sterling hails Arsenal transfer as ‘perfect fit’

See more – Every single Premier League transfer on deadline day

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