Many people find it hard to leave the city once they experience life in London. It seems that’s as true for Premier League footballers as it is anyone else.
Here are five players who moved across the capital. A couple of them swapped between so many London clubs you might expect them to be familiar with South London Movers, a company that has 20 years’ experience and helps Londoners move across the city, as well as abroad.
Ashley Cole
Ashley Cole, who some consider England’s finest ever left-back, made one of the most controversial Premier League moves when he switched from Arsenal to Chelsea. It was a highly heated and public transfer saga; Cole was fined by the league after being found guilty of contacting Chelsea without informing Arsenal.
Cole’s list of honours include three Premier League titles, seven FA Cups, the League Cup, the Champions League and the Europa League. He made the PFA Team of the Year, voted for by fellow professionals, four times. Cole was inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame in 2024, five years after his retirement.
Kai Havertz
Kai Havertz is one of several players in the Premier League era to go the other way, moving from Chelsea to Arsenal. He was part of Mikel Arteta’s title winning team in 2025-2026, helping Arsenal to their first league trophy in 22 years.
The German has a knack of scoring in the big games. Havertz scored the winning goals for Chelsea in the 2021 Champions League final and the Club World Cup final the same year. He also scored for Arsenal in the 2026 Champions League final, though Paris Saint-Germain won on penalties.
Bobby Zamora
Bobby Zamora made his name in football below the Premier League with Brighton and Hove Albion. Zamora’s time on the south coast preceded many years in the capital. The cheery song “Oh, Bobby Zamora” followed him on his travels.
By the time he’d retired, the striker had played for West Ham United, Fulham, Tottenham Hotspur, and Queens Park Rangers. s
Scott Parker
Scott Parker was another to play for a handful of London clubs, and in fact even more than Zamora. He is perhaps most associated with Charlton Athletic, but also appeared in midfield for Chelsea, West Ham United, Tottenham Hotspur, and Fulham.
Parker was handed the England captain’s armband in 2012, though was viewed by some pundits as symbolic of the national team prioritising work rate and tackling over technique. Parker has since moved into coaching and managed one of his former clubs, Fulham, as well as Bournemouth, Club Brugge, and most recently Burnley.
Emmanuel Adebayor
Emmanuel Adebayor had three years at Manchester City, plus a brief loan spell at Real Madrid, between his time with Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur. But it’s London clubs he’s most associated with. The striker also played for Crystal Palace.
The Togo international did not only upset Arsenal fans by playing for Spurs. In his first season at Man City, Adebayor scored against Arsenal and then ran the length of the pitch to celebrate in front of his former team’s supporters. The then-City manager Mark Hughes suggested he did so because he wanted to be loved by his new fans.
