Why does Arsenal love Chelsea players in 7 years?

Why does Arsenal fall in love with Chelsea's former players? The "borrowing" mystery from Stamford Bridge to Emirates Stadium

The transfer road from Stamford Bridge to Emirates Stadium is now extremely busy, and Arsenal seems to be keen on continuing to introduce Chelsea's "old faces". Recently, Kepa Arisabala joined for a price of just £5 million, becoming the latest Chelsea veteran to wear a red and white shirt. This seemingly inconspicuous deal reflects an increasingly obvious trend in English football - the transfer route from west London to north has never been so lively.

Arsenal has spent about £90 million to bring in several players from Chelsea since the summer of 2019. They have completed at least one such transfer in six of the past seven seasons. From Cech, David Luis, William, Jorginho, Havertz to Sterling, and now Kepa, every signing contains deep considerations, demonstrating Arsenal's unique transfer strategy in the post-Winger era.

First, for these players, they don't have to leave London. For players whose families have stable lives, their children are already enrolled in local schools, and their spouses have adapted to life in the capital, it is undoubtedly a huge attraction to just change clubs without changing the city. This "soft migration" method is much easier to accept than moving to other cities or even countries.

Secondly, most players who have switched to Arsenal from Chelsea are either over 30 years old or are about to enter their thirties. David Louis, William, Jorginho and Kepa are no longer at the peak of their careers. This type of player has relatively limited choices among top teams, as few clubs are willing to bear their salary levels when they were at Chelsea.

Former athletic director Edu and head coach Mikel Arteta played a key role in these transfers. As a Brazilian, Edu naturally tends to recruit compatriots, such as David Luis and William; while Arteta has long been interested in Jorginho and will take action quickly once he has the opportunity. The similarities in language, culture and football philosophy make these transfers appear natural and achieve the effect of "plug and play".

Since Todd Boley and Clearlake Capital took over Chelsea, the team has entered an era of rapid blood exchange. They invested hundreds of millions of pounds to bring in young talents and therefore had to sell players that did not meet the long-term plan. Havertz is a typical case, and although he has not fully realized his potential, it still has market value. Arsenal seized the opportunity to recruit him and cleverly took advantage of the chaos of his city opponents.

Even the deal on loan to Sterling last season is based on Chelsea's need to release cap space. Arsenal signed him with extremely low wages with little risk while increasing offensive options. This transfer of Kepa once again verifies the effectiveness of this model. The 30-year-old Kepa is no longer Chelsea's starting goalkeeper, and the chances of staying in the Blues are slim. Joining Arsenal, even as a backup to David Raya, means staying in London, enjoying a stable income and playing for a championship team.

This is a good deal for Arsenal. Their original target was Espanyol Joan Garcia, but was intercepted by Barcelona for more than £20 million. Signing Kepa for £5 million is not only extremely cost-effective, but also hardly increases financial pressure.

However, it is worth noting that not all signings from Chelsea will be successful at Arsenal. William is a typical case. He voluntarily demanded a termination after a dull season; David Louis' performance was not satisfactory; Havertz is gradually showing his value, but it cannot be said that he has achieved great success.

This shows that a reasonable trade in theory is not equivalent to a real-life victory. However, Arsenal's strategy is still worthy of recognition. They learned to "buy people smartly" rather than act on their feelings. If Arsenal can continue to maintain its current rigorous transfer policy, perhaps one day, Chelsea fans will look at Arsenal's team and can't help but sigh: "Why do our players perform better after leaving?"