Gary Neville has named Sol Campbell’s move from Tottenham Hotspur to Arsenal as the most shocking transfer he has ever seen in the Premier League, with both Ian Wright and Wayne Rooney agreeing.
Dubbed one of the most controversial moves in Premier League history, Campbell joined Tottenham’s biggest rivals, Arsenal, in 2001, a switch that further deepened the rivalry between the two clubs.
Thanks for the submission!
Speaking in a recent episode of The Overlap’s Stick to FootballNeville highlighted several blockbuster Premier League transfers, including Carlos Tevez’s move from Manchester United to Manchester City and Raheem Sterling’s move from Liverpool to Manchester City.
“Sol’s the biggest transfer I think I’ve ever seen, in shocks. In shocks, it was massive,” Neville said.
When Neville mentioned Campbell’s north London switch, Wright claimed it is the ‘number one’ in the history of the league, while Rooney also concurred, calling it’s one of the biggest transfers.
Campbell spent five seasons with the Gunners before leaving in 2006 to join Portsmouth on a free transfer. However, he rejoined Arsenal in 2010 and spent six months there before moving to Newcastle, where he eventually retired.
When Campbell revealed why he left Tottenham for Arsenal
Campbell’s shock move to Arsenal did not sit well with several Tottenham fans, as he was labeled ‘Judas’ by some Spurs supporters. Prior to his departure, the former defender made several public assurances to stay at Tottenham.
Campbell’s contract with Spurs had expired, and he was reportedly offered a contract that would have made him the club’s highest-ever-paid player at the time, but he chose to join Spurs’ bitter rivals as a free agent.
Speaking to Sky Sports in 2019, Campbell said he joined the Gunners because he wanted to win trophies and compete at the highest level.
“I wanted to win things. It’s all about winning at the end of the day. If everything goes away what you’re left with is what you want,” he said.
Reflecting on his time at both clubs, Campbell stated that Arsenal were the better team and had better players, which he claimed pushed him to raise his game.
During an appearance on The Overlap in 2025, the former England international reteirated why he left Spurs, saying he wanted to win.
Campbell’s decision to leave Spurs for Highbury aged well as he won six trophies with the Gunners, including two Premier League titles and three FA Cups. During his time at Tottenham, he won only the Carabao Cup.
Edited by Ezekiel Olamide
