Top 20 Cut-Price Buys of the 2014/15 Season

Here are the top 20 cut-price buys of the 2014-15 European football season.

The aim of this slideshow is to prove you can buy for value, a la Anderson Talisca, Diafra Sakho, Thorgan Hazard et al.

Please note the following points:

• Only transfers valued at €9.5/£7 million or lower are included.
• Free transfers are excluded.
• The euro/pound (€/£) exchange rate is adjusted to when the signing was announced.
• The footballer's age will be listed in the present, as opposed to when the signing was announced.

The 20 transfers are subjectively ranked via:

• Current playing ability.
• Potential playing ability.
• Transfer economic efficiency.
• Projected transfer resell value.

Honourable Mentions

Danish centre-back Jannik Vestergaard, 22, Hoffenheim → Werder Bremen: €2/£1.5 million.

Tunisian central attacking midfielder Wahbi Khazri, 24, Bastia → Bordeaux: €2/£1.6 million.

Ghanaian centre-forward Jordan Ayew, 23, Marseille → Lorient: €4/£3.2 million.

Croatian centre/right-back Tin Jedvaj, 19, Roma → Bayer Leverkusen: €7/£5.4 million.

Colombian goalkeeper David Ospina, 26, Nice → Arsenal: €3.8/£3 million.

Polish defensive midfielder Grzegorz Krychowiak, 25, Reims → Sevilla: €4.5/£3.6 million.

Dutch right-back Daryl Janmaat, 25, Feyenoord → Newcastle United: €6.3/£5 million.

Dutch centre-forward Luuk de Jong, 24, Borussia Monchengladbach → PSV Eindhoven: €5.5/£4.4 million.

French right-back Christophe Jallet, 31, Paris Saint-Germain → Lyon: €1.5/£1.2 million.

Italian central midfielder Marco Parolo, 30, Parma → Lazio: €4.5/£3.6 million.

20. Sam Larsson (Heerenveen)

Goteborg → Heerenveen: €1.5/£1.2 million.

Swedish left-forward Sam Larsson, 21, is a fun footballer to watch because he can pull off FIFA Street-like moves.

• Reporter: A Swedish Brazilian, is that how you describe yourself as a player?
• Larsson: Uhhh... *smiles* Yeah, pretty much.

Larsson missed a portion of this season due to injury, which is why he is under the radar.

His hat-trick of assists in Heerenveen's 4-1 win over Vitesse indicates to you he is not just a showman. 

Larsson can deliver the goods as evidenced with him scoring five goals in his last eight Eredivisie games.

Larsson must continue his productivity.

Why?

Potential suitors might be apprehensive in making a substantial investment in Larsson considering the failures of Afonso Alves, Miralem Sulejmani and Oussama Assaidi post-Heerenveen.

19. Godfred Donsah (Cagliari)

Enrico Locci/Getty Images

Hellas Verona → Cagliari: €2/£1.6 million.

Ghanaian central midfielder Godfred Donsah, 18, is shaping up to be a Cagliari success story.

For the myriad of transfer punts who don't make the grade at Cagliari, there is a Jonathan Zebina or a Radja Nainggolan.

Two words: rough diamond.

If you evaluate Donsah in the context of just another Serie A footballer, he belongs in the league.

When you attempt to project Donsah as a teenage top-flight footballer, you tend to think he has a bright future, presuming he is not an early bloomer.

Donsah can evade tackles and he bursts forward, which shows you he has the traits to be a difference-maker.

What he needs to do is become more involved and start demanding the ball.

18. Kalidou Koulibaly (Napoli)

Giuseppe Bellini/Getty Images

Genk → Napoli: €7/£5.6 million.

French centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly, 23, can ride roughshod over meek centre-forwards.

That said, Koulibaly is also prone to lapses in concentration.

When you factor in Koulibaly's freakish athleticism and him being just 23 years old, you are inclined to believe there will be one major European club that closes their eyes and throws money at Napoli to secure his services.

17. Thorgan Hazard (Borussia Monchengladbach)

Frank Augstein/Associated Press

Chelsea → Borussia Monchengladbach: €8/£5.9 million.

Belgian left-winger Thorgan Hazard, 22, is a mentally tough footballer.

He overcame an early setback at Lens, the constant comparisons to his brother Eden and having to take a step back at Zulte Waregem in order to progress forward.

Hazard has been a contributor to Borussia Monchengladbach, often utilised as a super-sub/occasional starter.

Given that he already has six assists in the Bundesliga, despite often being anonymous, shows you he has high upside.

Negotiating a buy-back option, Chelsea have protected themselves from being blind-sided by Hazard making an exponential Kevin De Bruyne-like improvement, per ChelseaFC.com.

16. Stefan de Vrij (Lazio)

Mario Carlini / Iguana Press/Getty Images

Feyenoord → Lazio: €6.5/£5.2 million.

Dutch centre-back Stefan de Vrij, 23, can sometimes get himself in trouble by being out of position in an attempt to win the ball upfield.

However, he is proficient in reading play and predicting where opposing players will pass the ball.

This is why he averages 3.9 interceptions per 90 minutes this season.

Given Lazio's revolving door of centre-backs, De Vrij has been a pleasant change as he is a constant presence in defence.

Lazio have conceded the third-least amount of goals in Serie A (27 goals in 28 games).

15. Diafra Sakho (West Ham United)

Paul Gilham/Getty Images

Metz → West Ham United: €4.4/£3.5 million.

Senegalese centre-forward Diafra Sakho, 25, epitomises why Premier League clubs are more receptive to taking calculated gambles on foreign talent than buying English footballers.

• Danny Welbeck: €20.2/£16 million.
• Diafra Sakho: €4.4/£3.5 million

Welbeck is a bigger name, played for a major club in Manchester United and you presumed he would finally realise his potential at Arsenal.

Meanwhile, Sakho was a punt by West Ham United.

Yes, Sakho was a scorer at Metz, but he had not proven himself at top-flight level considering he was signed based on his performances in Ligue 2, not Ligue 1.

• Welbeck: 4/22 in goals/games, 13.3 shots per goal, 41.5 shooting accuracy percentage.
• Sakho: 10/21 in goals/games, 6.3 shots per goal, 33.3 shooting accuracy percentage.

Sakho is currently a substantially more prolific scorer than Welbeck.

The only glaring flaw in Sakho's game is his shot selection and his tendency not to make the selfless pass, which would give him an assist, as opposed to chalking up another missed shot.

14. Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa (Roma)

Maurizio Lagana/Getty Images

Newcastle United → Roma: €7.4/£5.5 million.

French centre-back Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa, 25, will probably end up being to Newcastle United what Valerien Ismael is to Crystal Palace.

A flop at Crystal Palace, Ismael would go on to play for Werder Bremen and Bayern Munich. 

It is unexplainable how Yanga-Mbiwa was considered inferior to Mike Williamson when there is a substantial gap in quality. 

Yanga-Mbiwa is a passing outlet from the back and a safe tackler for Roma.

Sure, Yanga-Mbiwa has had some unsteady moments, but expect him to be more dominant next season.

13. Michy Batshuayi (Marseille)

Claude Paris/Associated Press

Standard Liege → Marseille: €6/£4.8 million.

Belgian centre-forward Michy Batshuayi, 21, is back in the headlines, notching up three braces in his last six Ligue 1 games.

Scoring more goals as an impact sub (five goals in 14 games) than as a starter (three goals in five games), Batshuayi has resuscitated what looked like a lost campaign.

When you realise Batshuayi has started five of 19 games and has netted eight times, you wonder how many goals he can score once he is a week-in, week-out starter. 

12. Tiemoue Bakayoko (Monaco)

Martin Meissner/Associated Press

Rennes → Monaco: €8/£6.3 million.

French defensive midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko, 20, is an imposing presence on the football field.

He is on his way to becoming one of the most feared midfield destroyers in Europe.

He accumulates 3.9 tackles and intercepts 4.1 passes per 90 minutes.

Provided that he limits his pointless fouls, like being on a yellow card and inexplicably tripping up Jeremy Clement in Monaco's 1-1 draw against Saint-Etienne, Bakayoko will become a hot commodity.

11. Yacine Brahimi (Porto)

Alvaro Barrientos/Associated Press

Granada → Porto: €6.5/£5.1 million.

Algerian left/deep-lying forward Yacine Brahimi, 25, is Porto's cash cow. 

Brahimi has been one of the best players in the UEFA Champions League, scoring five times and registering three assists in seven games.

However, Brahimi has failed to replicate his consistency in the Primeira Liga.

Given his highlight reel moments, you feel Porto will once again be able to inflate Brahimi's transfer stock and offload him for a substantial profit.

10. Roman Burki (Freiburg)

Grasshopper Club Zurich → Freiburg: €1.8/£1.4 million.

Swiss goalkeeper Roman Burki, 24, has put on his Superman cape and is effectively keeping Freiburg afloat.

Burki leads the Bundesliga in saves (117) and has at times been world class.

Kicker have ranked Burki as the fifth-best footballer in the Bundesliga this season.

9. Hakim Ziyech (Twente)

Heerenveen → Twente: €3.5/£2.8 million.

Dutch central midfielder/right-forward Hakim Ziyech, 22, is an effervescent component of Twente's starting XI.

When he is in midfield, he is hustling to win back the ball, and in possession, he is dynamite.

He is in the midst of a purple patch, scoring four goals and providing five assists in his last six Eredivisie games. 

What makes him valuable is he can interchange to the right flank and cause havoc.

8. Albert Rusnak (Groningen)

Manchester City → Groningen: €550,000/£429,000. 

Slovakian central midfielder/left attacking midfielder Albert Rusnak, 20, did not make a lasting impression in England, but he has found his level in the Netherlands.

On loan at Cambuur, Rusnak demonstrated promise, scoring four times and providing two assists. 

Groningen noticed Rusnak's potential and paid a nominal fee to secure his services. 

What you like about Rusnak is he provides penetration and incisive plays, whereas Simon Tibbling—Groningen's other notable signing—is a distributor.

This shows Groningen have planned their signings to complement each other, rather than just buying and hoping the transfers work out.

7. Luciano Vietto (Villarreal)

Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images

Racing Club → Villarreal: €5.5/£4.4 million.

Argentine centre-forward Luciano Vietto, 21, has enjoyed a breakout campaign for Villarreal.

He has scored a combined 18 goals in La Liga/UEFA Europa League (12 in Spain and six in Europe) this season.

What makes Vietto's efforts impressive is that he has only started 50 percent of La Liga games he has been involved in. 

Vietto is on course to emulate Diego Forlan and Giuseppe Rossi.

6. Yann Sommer (Borussia Monchengladbach)

Dennis Grombkowski/Getty Images

Basel → Borussia Monchengladbach: €6/£4.8 million.

Swiss goalkeeper Yann Sommer, 26, has proven there is life after Marc-Andre ter Stegen. Sommer has been vital to Borussia Monchengladbach becoming one of the best teams in the Bundesliga.

Accumulating 104 saves in 26 Bundesliga games, Sommer is in inspired form. 

Kicker have ranked Sommer as the 10th-best footballer in the Bundesliga this season. 

5. Abdul Rahman Baba (Augsburg)

Greuther Furth → Augsburg: €2.5/£2 million. 

Ghanaian left-back Abdul Rahman Baba, 20, is a ball-winning machine. He has accumulated 94 tackles, 64 interceptions and 28 blocks in 23 Bundesliga games this season.

When Baba wins the ball and runs forward, he turns into an additional attacker and is sneakily productive.

He has registered more assists (four) than Hakan Calhanoglu (three).

Baba has gone from being potentially a cheap transfer alternative to Ricardo Rodriguez to one of the best left-backs in Europe.

4. Shkodran Mustafi (Valencia)

Manuel Queimadelos Alonso/Getty Images

Sampdoria → Valencia: €8/£6.3 million.

German centre-back Shkodran Mustafi, 22, at times is liable to having Vincent "What were you thinking?" Kompany-esque moments. 

One example being Mustafi dawdling on the ball, losing possession, hauling down Sergio Garcia and getting sent off in a 2-0 defeat to Espanyol during the Copa del Rey.

However, when Mustafi is in his element, he is a reliable tackler (82.5 percent success rate) and outstanding in charging forward to cut off passes (63 interceptions in 23 La Liga games).

Mustafi has enhanced Valencia's back line which is the second-best defence in La Liga (22 goals conceded from 28 games). 

Paris Saint-Germain signing David Luiz from Chelsea for €49.5/£39.5 million has inflated the transfer stock of big-name centre-backs.

This serves as a reference point for Valencia if Europe's wealthiest clubs start a dialogue with the intent of buying Mustafi.

What does this mean? 

Valencia could cash in big time should they choose to sell Mustafi.

3. Simon Tibbling (Groningen)

Djurgardens IF → Groningen: €1.3/£1 million.

Swedish central midfielder Simon Tibbling, 20, has an unquenchable need to monopolise the ball.

Tibbling has transitioned from the Allsvenskan to the Eredivisie with relative ease, pairing up with Maikel Kieftenbeld in Groningen's midfield.

In addition, the Albert Rusnak-Tibbling connection could be Groningen's future.

Tibbling completes 88.3 percent of his 65.3 passes per 90 minutes. 

If Tibbling can add goals and assists to his game, currently 902 minutes and counting without scoring or creating a goal in the Eredivisie, he is going to be a star.

2. Anderson Talisca (Benfica)

Francisco Seco/Associated Press

Bahia → Benfica: €4/£3.2 million.

Brazilian deep-lying forward Anderson Talisca, 21 is not a central midfielder and should not be wasting a minute playing there.

This is Yaya Toure all over again, as Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger found out.

"I remember the first chat I had with Arsene Wenger. He asked me: 'Yaya, which position do you want to play?' I told him I wanted to be a midfielder," Toure said, per Jamie Redknapp at the Daily Mail.

"[Wenger] said: 'Why? When I saw you training, for me you look more like a striker'."

Toure had several great years as a central midfielder, but since then, he has vindicated Wenger by being such a dangerous threat going forward. 

All those years ago during Toure's trial at Arsenal, Wenger was right. 

Talisca has flashed world-class potential as a deep-lying forward. 

Sure, it is vexing that he is neither a No. 9 nor a No. 10, but he has the talent to assume a free-roaming attacking role. 

It is more beneficial to give him creative freedom up front than letting him play as a central midfielder.

You surmise Benfica will make more money if Talisca is scoring goals as a forward than making tackles as a midfielder.

The only concern you should have with Talisca is how inconsistent he is. 

It does make you wonder if he will have an Anderson Luis-like career.

Even before the debilitating injuries and positional switch from No. 10 to No. 8, Anderson was hit-and-miss for Porto, despite being astonishingly gifted. 

That said, Benfica have once again proven how adept their scouting network is.

They have acquired Talisca, a once-in-a-generation talent, for €4/£3.2 million.

1. Daley Sinkgraven (Ajax)

Peter Dejong/Associated Press

Heerenveen → Ajax: €6.5/£4.9 million.

Dutch central midfielder Daley Sinkgraven, 19, is one of the most impressive teenage footballers in Europe.

While Ajax have been patient with Richairo Zivkovic's development, Sinkgraven has been immediately handed responsibilities as a starter.

Why? On paper, he is a teenager, but on the field, he plays like a veteran.

• Sinkgraven is lethal from dead-ball situations.
• He conducts play in midfield, averaging 56.5 passes per 90 minutes.
• He works hard without the ball, winning back possession 5.0 times (2.8 tackles, 2.2 interceptions) per 90 minutes.

In Ajax's 4-1 win over Heerenveen, Sinkgraven's inswinging corner led to Davy Klaassen scoring.

Then Sinkgraven hit a free-kick to Joel Veltman for a second set-piece assist in the game.

Tied with Anwar El Ghazi for most key passes (pass leading to a shot; three) by an Ajax player against Heerenveen, Sinkgraven was a creative outlet.

Defensively, Sinkgraven contributed with two tackles, two interceptions and a blocked shot.

It is a transfer steal for Ajax in obtaining Sinkgraven for €6.5/£4.9 million.

To show you how inflated the Premier League transfer market is: Jack Rodwell, who is injury-prone and inconsistent, is valued by Sunderland at €12.6/£10 million.

Sinkgraven is already twice the player Rodwell has ever been.

+allanjiang.

When not specified, statistics via WhoScored.com.