Bargain Buys: 20 of Europe's Best Transfer Deals from Summer 2014
With the focus set firmly on players who cost less than £15 million/€19 million, this slideshow takes a look at 20 bargain buys of the 2014 summer football transfer window.
Key factors that affected who made the final 20, include:
- Size of transfer fee
- The level of impact these names have had at their respective new clubs so far
We tip our hat with honourable mentions to players such as Keylor Navas, Bryan Cristante and Stefan de Vrij who represent great value for money but haven't enjoyed comparatively good starts to the 2014/15 season, or have not experienced sufficient game time.
Arranged with the most expensive players first, leading up to those who moved for free, this slideshow does not include loan moves. If players have the same price, they will be ordered alphabetically.
Unless stated otherwise, all transfer fees and player statistics are sourced from Transfermarkt.com.
Honourable Mentions
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The players below were shortlisted for the slideshow, yet did not make it into the final 20. This is due to either a lack of playing time, a not-too-impressive start to the 2014/15 season, or having less of an impact at their new clubs than the players who are featured in the coming slides.
- Nemanja Vidic: Manchester United to Inter Milan—Free transfer
- Guillermo Ochoa: Ajaccio to Malaga—Free transfer
- Ever Banega: Valencia to Sevilla—£2.2 million/€2.5 million
- Sebastian Jung: Frankfurt to Wolfsburg—£2.2 million/€2.5 million
- Miguel Angel Moya: Getafe to Atletico Madrid—£2.64 million/€3 million
- David Ospina: Nice to Arsenal—£3.52 million/€4 million
- Daniel Agger: Liverpool to Brondby—£3.52 million/€4 million
- Muhamed Besic: Ferencvaros to Everton—£4.22 million/€4.8 million
- Bryan Cristante: AC Milan to Benfica—£5.28 million/€6 million
- Stefan de Vrij: Feyenoord to Lazio—£7.48 million/€8.5 million
- Keylor Navas: Levante to Real Madrid—£8.8 million/€10 million
- Emre Can: Bayer Leverkusen to Liverpool—£10.56 million/€12 million
- Divock Origi: Lille to Liverpool—£11.11 million/€12.63 million
20. Enner Valencia
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From: Pachuca
To: West Ham
Cost: £13.2 million/€15 million
It looked like West Ham could have paid over the odds for Enner Valencia this summer, with Sam Allardyce perhaps tempted into a move after watching the 24-year-old notch three goals for Ecuador at the 2014 World Cup.
The Hammers have not had much luck with signing successful strikers in recent seasons. However, it seems that Valencia might be about to buck the trend. Despite being the most expensive player in this slideshow, £13.2 million could turn out to be a snip for the London club, where the Ecuadorian is already causing problems for Premier League opposition.
In the two games that Valencia has started, his team have taken points from Hull City in a 2-2 draw and Liverpool in a 3-1 win.
In his first goal for his new club, the San Lorenzo-born player did not disappoint—scoring this incredible strike, clocked at 70mph, at Hull's KC Stadium.
Quick, deceptively strong and versatile, Valencia scored 23 goals in 27 games for Mexican side Pachuca last season.
19. Hakan Calhanoglu
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From: Hamburg
To: Bayer Leverkusen
Cost: £12.76 million/€14.5 million
In a move that went largely under-the-radar this summer, Hakan Calhanoglu's switch to Bayer Leverkusen was a terrific piece of business.
The 20-year-old has wasted no time in settling into his new surroundings at the BayArena, where he has registered two assists and one goal in four Bundesliga ties, with a further goal and two assists coming over the course of two Champions League qualification fixtures against Copenhagen.
The Turkey international, brought in to boost Leverkusen following the departure of Emre Can and Sidney Sam, is a provider of world-class set pieces and can play in a variety of roles across midfield.
Watch him closely in the Bundesliga and Champions League this season, his reputation—and probably, price—will be on the up.
18. Dusan Tadic
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From: FC Twente
To: Southampton
Cost: £12.32 million/€14 million
The outlook was bleak for Southampton over the summer. The club had lost their manager, Mauricio Pochettino, to Tottenham Hotspur, not to mention a large chunk of their senior players in Rickie Lambert, Adam Lallana, Dejan Lovren, Calum Chambers and Luke Shaw.
Now, after five games, the side sit second in the Premier League and life looks increasingly rosy.
Dusan Tadic appears to be an astute buy from new Saints boss Ronald Koeman. Two assists in five top-flight games have helped Southampton to record just one loss, a 0-0 draw and three wins.
In the League Cup, the Serbian has impressed, most notably in Tuesday's 2-1 win against Arsenal, in which he coolly converted a penalty.
At less than £15 million, Tadic is ensuring that Adam Lallana will soon be forgotten at St. Mary's...
17. Kostas Manolas
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From: Olympiakos
To: Roma
Cost: £11.44 million/€13 million
Kostas Manolas swapped Greek side Olympiakos for Serie A's Roma in the final days of the summer transfer window, as a direct replacement for Bayern Munich-bound Mehdi Benatia.
Benatia—who was sold for £24 million/€28 million—has not been missed.
The centre-back has slotted right into Rudi Garcia's side, playing in all three Serie A games (all wins) without conceding, as well as his side's emphatic 5-1 victory against CSKA Moscow in Champions League Group H.
The 23-year-old has made a fantastic start to life in Italy where, it is certain, his market price will skyrocket.
16. Fraser Forster
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From: Celtic
To: Southampton
Cost: £11 million/€12.5 million
Fraser Forster's excellent performances in goal have played their part in Southampton's positive early 2014/15 form.
The goalkeeper has conceded just three goals in the Saints' opening five games—no other English top-flight side has let in less so far this season.
Forster has also impressed in the League Cup, where Ronald Koeman's side are unbeaten in two ties, against Millwall (2-0) and Arsenal (2-1).
Celtic's Players' Player of the Season in 2012/13 and 2013/14, Forster looks to be an outstanding acquisition for Southampton at a very fair price.
15. Leonardo Ulloa
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From: Brighton and Hove Albion
To: Leicester City
Cost: £8.9 million/€10.12 million
Leicester broke their transfer record to sign Leonardo Ulloa in July, yet already the Argentine looks like an early contender for one of the steals of the season.
The 28-year-old striker, who joined Brighton in January 2013, has already notched five goals in five games for his new club—including two in the Foxes' recent 5-3 win against Manchester United.
Only Chelsea's Diego Costa has scored more Premier League goals this season than Ulloa, with seven.
14. Gylfi Sigurdsson
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From: Tottenham Hotspur
To: Swansea City
Cost: £8.9 million/€10.10 million
Gylfi Sigurdsson is no stranger to Swansea City, having spent five months on loan there when at Hoffenheim during the 2011/12 season.
After making 83 appearances (in all competitions) for Spurs, the Icelandic midfielder joined Swansea this summer, with the Swans' Michel Vorm and Ben Davies going the other way.
The 25-year-old looks like a great addition to Garry Monk's side where, over the course of five top-flight games, he has been an ever-present and has scored one goal (the winner against Manchester United on the opening day) and bagged four assists.
On Tuesday, Sigurdsson also notched Swansea's second goal in a League Cup third-round tie against Everton, in which his side won 3-0.
13. Graziano Pelle
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From: Feyenoord
To: Southampton
Cost: £8.8 million/€10 million
Graziano Pelle is already looking like a sound investment for Southampton, who were forced into making changes over the summer when a number of senior players departed the club.
Brought in to replace Rickie Lambert, Pelle has exceeded expectations. The 29-year-old had an excellent record in the Eredivisie, where he notched 55 goals in 66 games for Feyenoord, but most strikers shipped in from the Dutch league have to prove they can cut it against English defences.
Luckily for Saints fans, Pelle seems to be from the Wilfried Bony—rather than Afonso Alves—school of adaptability to the Premier League. With three goals and two assists in five top-flight games, the Italian has got off to a flying start.
12. Juan Bernat
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From: Valencia
To: Bayern Munich
Cost: £8.8 million/€10 million
Bayern Munich captured Juan Bernat for next to nothing over the summer, when they brought him to the Allianz Arena from La Liga.
As Bayern's sporting director Matthias Sammer told Bundesliga.com at the time:
"Juan Bernat's an extraordinary young player who we've been monitoring for a while. He's quick, strong in the tackle and has an extremely good eye for goal. We're sure that, in signing Bernat, we're making a very sound investment in our team for the future.
"
The Spain under-21 international clocked up 49 appearances for Valencia last season, his breakthrough campaign at the Mestalla.
His main position is at left-back, although he is also adept at playing on the left side of midfield. Bernat has gone straight into Pep Guardiola's side, appearing in all five of the Bundesliga's opening games, not to mention the Champions League and DFB Pokal.
11. Xabi Alonso
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From: Real Madrid
To: Bayern Munich
Cost: £8.8 million/€10 million
Xabi Alonso, at 32, may be in the twilight years of his career but Bayern Munich pulled off a tremendous piece of business when they signed the Spaniard over the summer.
"When Bayern are interested in you then you must not hesitate for a single second," Alonso told Germany’s Sport 1 television (h/t The Guardian). "I am looking forward to what lies ahead. I am proud at my age to have another chance to play for such a great club."
Alonso has already made his mark on Pep Guardiola's side, with an assured performance in the Champions League against Manchester City and four Bundesliga performances.
In his most recent outing, against Paderborn, Alonso reminded us all of his worth with an outstanding display that featured 142 completed passes—more than any other player in Europe so far this season, as tweeted by Squawka analyst @SquawkaDave.
Alonso was a steal at just £8.8 million.
10. Adrian Ramos
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From: Hertha Berlin
To: Borussia Dortmund
Cost: £8.54 million/€9.7 million
Last season, Adrian Ramos found the back of the net 16 times in 32 Bundesliga appearances for Hertha Berlin, with a further eight assists for the capital city side.
Along with Ciro Immobile, Ramos was brought in to soften the blow of Robert Lewandowski's departure to Bayern Munich and the 28-year-old has already impressed for Dortmund, with two goals and an assist in three league games.
The Colombian international cost less than half of the fee paid to bring Immobile to Signal Iduna Park. A consistent scorer in the Bundesliga, he should prove to be one of the bargains of the season.
9. Gary Medel
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From: Cardiff City
To: Inter Milan
Chile international Gary Medel looks to have been an astute buy for Walter Mazzarri's Inter Milan, who saw several comings and goings over the summer.
The combative midfielder joined Cardiff City for £11 million/€13 million last year which was seen as a coup, but Inter have secured the 27-year-old for even less, following Cardiff's relegation to the Championship.
Often thought of as a volatile player (the nickname "Pitbull" helps...), Medel may be tenacious in the tackle, but the former Sevilla man also boasts a range of passing that could turn him into one of Mazzarri's key distributors.
Already, in Inter's three unbeaten Serie A ties, Medel has boasted an excellent pass success rate, with WhoScored.com giving him an average of 93.2 percent.
With Esteban Cambiasso moving on to Leicester City after the expiration of his contract, Inter needed a new defensive midfielder for the seasons ahead. In Medel, they may have found one.
8. Britt Assombalonga
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From: Peterborough United
To: Nottingham Forest
Cost: £6.1 million/€6.93 million
Nottingham Forest broke their club-record fee when they brought Britt Assombalonga to the City Ground this summer.
The 21-year-old also joined his former side, Peterborough, for a record sum when he signed for the club in 2013 for £1.5 million/€1.9 million.
The Kinshasa-born striker netted 33 goals in 58 games for Posh, before moving to Forest where he has enjoyed an excellent start to the season. In eight Championship games, Assombalonga has scored eight, including a hat-trick bagged against Fulham on September 17.
If he maintains his early-season form and helps to fire Forest back into the Premier League, Assombalonga will be one of the deals of 2014/15.
7. Josip Drmic
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From: Nurnberg
To: Bayer Leverkusen
Cost: £5.98 million/€6.8 million
Josip Drmic ended the 2013/14 campaign—his debut season in the Bundesliga—as the division's third-highest goalscorer. With only Robert Lewandowski and Mario Mandzukic above him in the scoring charts, Drmic was in good company.
Bayer Leverkusen did not waste any time in snapping up the 22-year-old, with a deal agreed as early as May 12, as seen on Bundesliga.com.
Drmic went to the World Cup this summer with Switzerland, where he played in every game for Ottmar Hitzfeld's side until their eventual elimination in the round of 16.
The striker has already featured for Leverkusen on four fronts this season—in the Bundesliga, Champions League qualification, Champions League group stage and the DFB Pokal. So far, he has registered one goal, in Sunday's 4-1 defeat to Wolfsburg.
6. Yacine Brahimi
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From: Granada
To: FC Porto
Cost: £5.72 million/€6.5 million
He marked his Champions League debut with a hat-trick (against BATE Borisov), has notched two assists in the Primeira Liga and has a goal and an assist in Champions League qualification. It's not been a bad start to life at FC Porto for Yacine Brahimi.
The 24-year-old cost the Portuguese club less than £6 million, a snip by anyone's standards.
In six games for Julen Lopetegui's side, Brahimi has already scored more goals than he did in 64 outings for Granada.
The attacking midfielder had a strong World Cup showing with Algeria, where he made three appearances—scoring a goal against South Korea—en route to the round of 16.
Chances are, he will be sold on by Porto in seasons to come for a vastly increased fee.
5. Eric Dier
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From: Sporting Lisbon
To: Tottenham Hotspur
Cost: £4.4 million/€5 million
Eric Dier introduced himself to Premier League audiences with two goals in his first two games for Tottenham Hotspur, in wins against West Ham and Queens Park Rangers, respectively.
A sound defender with great technique and finishing skills, Spurs managed to snag one of the bargains of the season in the relatively small amount of money they spent on the 20-year-old this summer.
Born in England, Dier learned his trade with Sporting Lisbon after his family moved to Portugal. The young centre-back made 32 appearances for the Portuguese side's senior team, before arriving at White Hart Lane.
With the ability to play at right-back and in a defensive midfield role (and score), Dier should be a big player for Spurs this term.
4. Andre Hahn
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From: Augsburg
To: Borussia Monchengladbach
Cost: £1.98 million/€2.25 million
With his five goals and two assists (in all competitions) so far this term, Andre Hahn has already started to pay back the bargain fee that Die Fohlen paid for him over the summer.
At less than £2 million, Hahn's arrival at Lucien Favre's side should go down as one of the coups of the 2014/15 campaign.
Upon securing Hahn's signature, Gladbach's sporting director Max Eberl told the club's official website:
"Andre Hahn has made incredible progress in Augsburg this season. He's one of the most prolific wide players in the league and is sure to be great addition to our attack. We had a lot of competition for his signature and we're delighted he's decided to join us.
"
Just three seasons ago, the 24-year-old was playing in the German third division with Kickers Offenbach, before being signed by Augsburg in January 2013. After scoring 12 goals and bagging 14 assists for the side over the course of 51 games, Hahn received his first call-up to the German national side, as seen on Bundesliga.com.
3. Elias Kachunga
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From: Borussia Monchengladbach
To: SC Paderborn
Cost: £264,000/€300,000
It's been a dream start to 2014/15 for Paderborn who, until this season, had never played in the German top flight before.
Andre Breitenreiter's side topped the Bundesliga at the weekend and currently sit in fourth, following Tuesday's 4-0 defeat at the hands of Bayern Munich.
One of the key players in their excellent start to the campaign is Elias Kachunga, who joined Paderborn in July, having spent 18 months on loan with the club.
Already, the 22-year-old has scored three goals in five Bundesliga outings and, despite his side's loss, was widely applauded for his performance against Bayern this week.
It remains to be seen whether Kachunga's form will continue all season, but the striker has had an incredible start. Expect bigger clubs to come calling.
2. Jeremy Menez
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From: Paris Saint-Germain
To: AC Milan
Cost: Free Transfer
Off the Paris Saint-Germain bench and into Filippo Inzaghi's AC Milan starting XI, Jeremy Menez is a man revitalized by his summer move.
Last season, the Frenchman started just seven games in Ligue 1 for PSG and completed a full 90 minutes on just three occasions. With his contract run down, Menez left on a Bosman on July 1.
The 27-year-old has already been earmarked as a key player in Inzaghi's Milan side, and has featured in all four of their Serie A openers, bagging three goals and setting up a further two.
For this goal alone, scored against Parma in an exhilarating 5-4 win, Menez can lay claim to being one of the steals of 2014/15.
1. Robert Lewandowski
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From: Borussia Dortmund
To: Bayern Munich
Cost: Free Transfer
Robert Lewandowski's move to Bayern Munich came as no surprise, with rumours concerning the striker's will-he, won't-he transfer drawn out across the 2013/14 season.
In January, with only six months left on his Dortmund contract, the switch was finally confirmed with a pre-contract agreement, as seen on BBC Sport.
Bayern were already brilliant, and then they signed the striker who netted 103 goals and 44 assists in 187 games for Borussia Dortmund. For free.
So far, the Polish striker has scored two and set up a further two in the first five matches of the Bundesliga season and is yet to find the back of the net in domestic cup and Champions League competition.
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