Three Man Utd flops

Arsenal are reportedly eyeing a move to sign Marcus Rashford this summer as they plan to raid Manchester United once again.

The Gunners are understood to be preparing to make an approach for Rashford when the transfer window opens in the summer, provided they qualify for the Champions League this season.

Rashford has enjoyed a difficult season at United and is said to be considering his future at the club, having started just 10 matches and scored five goals this season. He was also left out of Gareth Southgate’s latest England squad ahead of the World Cup later this year.

If he were to complete a switch from Old Trafford to the Emirates Stadium, he would not be the first player to do so and here are five other United players signed by Arsenal in the past.

Mikael Silvestre;
French defender Mikael Silvestre completed the controversial move from United to Arsenal in August 2008 after nine years at Old Trafford.

Silvestre had won four league titles and the Champions League with the Red Devils but was never able to establish himself as a consistent starter due to the competition for places at the club.

This continued at Arsenal as he made 43 appearances during two years in north London, with just 26 of his appearances coming in the league. He left the club in 2010 to join German side Werder Bremen prior to spells in the USA and India before retiring in 2015.

Danny Welbeck;
Similarly to Rashford, United academy graduate Danny Welbeck was a hot prospect when he broke into the United first team in 2009 before a loan spell at Sunderland.

Welbeck enjoyed success at United after returning to the club but injuries hampered his development and opportunities before he moved to Arsenal in 2014 for £18million. The former England international scored 32 times in 126 appearances for the Gunners.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan;
Henrikh Mkhitaryan was one of the most exciting and creative attacking players in Europe when he moved to United from Borussia Dortmund in 2016. However, his career at Old Trafford never took off, although he did muster a respectable 24 goal contributions in 63 appearances for the club.

Three Man Utd flops

The Armenian midfielder was part of a swap deal that saw Alexis Sanchez go the other way in January 2018 and he went on to score nine times and add 13 assists in 59 appearances for Arsenal.

After an initial loan spell, Mkhitaryan departed for Roma on a permanent basis in 2020 and has since become a key man for the Serie A outfit, who are now managed by his former United boss Jose Mourinho.