With the likes of Willian and Jan Vertonghen out of contract this summer, there has been plenty of speculation about where the two of them may end up.

Both players have been impressive Premier League operators throughout their careers and as a result there seems to be no shortage of suitors.

Vertonghen is said to be currently assessing his options, while there seems to be a tug of war between Chelsea’s rivals over Willian.

While both have undoubtedly been good servants to their clubs, it remains to be seen how a move to a close rival would affect their relationship with the fans.

They would not be the first players to cross the divide between two of England’s big clubs though, with a number of big names choosing to join a direct rival during the Premier League era.

Here, we look at 20 players who risked their status at their former club by joining another top-six club directly…

Sol Campbell

After more than 250 league appearances for Tottenham Hotspur, Campbell did the unthinkable in 2001 by crossing the North London divide to join Arsenal. The defender went on to win two titles at the Gunners but his reputation among Spurs fans was forever damaged.

Ashley Cole

A player that came through the academy at Arsenal, the club developed Cole into one the best left-backs in the world. However, this attracted the attention of newly rich Chelsea and their boss Jose Mourinho, who sealed a deal to sign Cole in the summer of 2006.

William Gallas

A player who crossed the divide twice, Gallas was a makeweight in the deal that saw Cole to join Chelsea. He went onto become Arsenal captain but is best remembered for his outburst at Birmingham City and was sold to Spurs in 2010.

Joe Cole

A supremely talented footballer, Cole arrived at Chelsea at the start of the Roman Abramovich era and ended up winning plenty of honours with the club. However, his career was cruelly blighted by injury and in 2010 he joined Liverpool.

Teddy Sheringham

Another player who swapped one big six team for another twice, Sheringham joined Manchester United in 1997 after an impressive spell with Spurs. His time at Old Trafford is best remembered for his part in the 1999 European Cup win, but two seasons later he returned to White Hart Lane.

Danny Welbeck

With Arsenal in need of a forward, they made a deadline day move for Welbeck in 2014. The United academy graduate completed the move and spent five years at the Gunners, although his game time was sadly limited due to injury.

Kyle Walker

Walker’s Spurs career was a slow burn after his move from Sheffield United, but the right-back really came into his own under Mauricio Pochettino. His improvement was clearly noticed and in 2017, Pep Guardiola paid a record fee for a full-back to bring him to the Etihad Stadium.

Kolo Toure

One of Arsene Wenger’s greatest finds, Toure was signed as a midfielder but converted into a speedy centre-back by the Frenchman. His transformation was so impressive that in 2009, the big spending Manchester City spent £14m to bring him to the Etihad. Toure would repeat the feat a few years later too when he moved to Liverpool.

Emmanuel Adebayor

After an impressive goalscoring season for Arsenal during the 2007-08 campaign attention around Adebayor reached fever pitch, but a move was blocked by Wenger. However, that did not stop the Togo international leaving the club the following summer for City. After three years at City, Adebayor moved onto the Gunners arch rivals Spurs.

Michael Carrick

Arrived at Old Trafford in the summer of 2006 after making his name at Spurs, Carrick’s United career was a slow burn. However, he slowing gained more respect for his displays and after a 12-year spell at the club he joined the coaching staff.

Robbie Keane

Another player who made more than one move between top six clubs, Keane joined Liverpool in 2008 in what looked like a canny piece of business at the time. However, things did not work out and he returned less than a year later.

Nemanja Matic

A player who excelled at Chelsea under Mourinho, the Portuguese boss than brought him with him when he became United boss. The former Chelsea boss paid £40m for the Serbian who remains a part of the team today.

Raheem Sterling

After making his name at Liverpool with some fantastic performances during their ill-fated 2013-14 Premier League campaign, Sterling became one of the most sought after young players in the division. The following summer City paid £49m for his signature and he has since developed into one of the league’s best players.

Robin van Persie

With much of his Arsenal career disrupted by injury, Van Persie finally got a good run of game during the 2011-12 campaign and scored 30 league goals. That summer though he left for United and won his first Premier League title, bagging 26 league goals in the process.

David Luiz

After Laurent Koscielny left the Gunners right at the end of the summer of 2019, the club swooped to secure Luiz, who looked to be out favour under Frank Lampard. The move has been moderately successful so far, with Luiz finding some good form under Mikel Arteta.

Gael Clichy

Another Arsenal player who jumped ship, Clichy joined City in the summer of 2011 as the Gunners’ squad was slowly dismantled.

Samir Nasri

Like Clichy, Nasri swapped the Emirates for the Etihad in the summer of 2011 after his best season to date for the Gunners. The Frenchman started life in Manchester well, but has seen his career derailed in recent years.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

Another Arsenal man who jumped ship, Oxlade-Chamberlain was a year out from his contract expiring and chose to join Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool. A player of great ability, he has been held back by injury.

Fernando Torres

Torres shocked everyone when he swapped Liverpool for Chelsea in a move worth £50m in January 2011. The move famously failed to work out and Torres’ has not been able to find his best form since.

Bacary Sagna

A reliable defender, Sagna left Arsenal in 2014 on the expiration of his contract to join City to join up with former teammate Clichy.