The Premier League's 10 Best Bargain Buys

The following list consists of what I think were the ten best transfers made by a Premier League club. How much was spent is a major factor, but not the defining factor; what the player has accomplished or earned the club in profit also had a bearing on the choices.

10. Robin Van Persie to Arsenal: £2.75m - 2004

Robin Van Persie was signed by Arsene Wenger from Dutch side Feyenoord. Since 2004, Van Persie has managed over 125 League games with over 45 Premier League goals for Arsenal. This is a great record due to the level of injuries and setbacks that have restricted playing time for the Dutch star.

Robin’s best quality is not his ability to score but his ability to create goals for others. Along with the goals, Van Persie has a bag full of assists for Arsenal in the league. Last year, Van Persie lead the league with 11 assists and this year has managed seven despite missing a major chunk of the season.

He has managed to pick up an F.A cup medal and a runners-up medal for the Champions League and the 2004/05 Premier League.

9. Carlo Cudicini to Chelsea: £160k - 2000

Carlo Cudicini was plucked from the lower leagues of Italy to become a starter in the Premier League. Cudicini spent over ten years as a Chelsea player; the first cap he made in the league for Chelsea was as a loan player. He then made 141 appearances as a full-time player.

The arrival of Petr Cech in 2004 saw Cudicini spend more time on the bench. However, the times he was called upon he produced to a high standard, making him a very highly sought after commodity.

His time spent with Chelsea was rewarded in January of 2009 when he was allowed to leave the club for free to join Tottenham. It cost Chelsea a lowly £1,130 per league appearance for Carlo Cudicini.

A keeper who is worth his weight in gold between the sticks.

8. Tim Cahill to Everton: £1.5m - 2004

Tim Cahill was signed from Millwall in 2004 and ever since he has been considered a constant attacking threat and one of Everton's best players, if no the best. He has great quality on the ball and phenomenal heading ability from a player who is just 5’10”.

As a Toffee Cahill has played in over 150 games for Everton and scored over 40 times in the league.

In 2006 Cahill was one of the 50 nominees for the Ballon D’Or, the first Everton player in 18 years to make the short list. In the same year, he won the Oceania Footballer of the Year. Last season he lead Everton to the finals of the F.A cup, where they narrowly lost to Chelsea.

7. Sami Hyypia to Liverpool: £2.6m - 1999

Liverpool signed Sami Hyypia from Dutch side Willem II. In his ten year career at Anfield, Hyypia managed to appear in over 315 league games for the Reds, the team he supported as a child.

The Finnish centre back has also managed to score 22 times in the league. Hyypia became an instant starter for Liverpool and has gone all previous nine season appearing in at least 20 games or more in the Premier League. He has scored in all ten of his seasons with Liverpool and was at the heart of their defense during their Treble success in 2001.

Hyypia won two F.A cups, a League Cup, and a UEFA Super Cup medal, along with a Champions League medal and UEFA Cup medal.

6. Nicolas Anelka to Arsenal: £500k - 1997

In 1997, Arsene Wenger spent half a million pounds sterling to sign a young 17-year old Frenchman named Nicolas Anelka from French side PSG.

In his two year stay at Highbury he played in 65 league games, scoring 23 times. He was an attacking help for Arsenal during their Double winning season in 1997/98. The following season, he won the PFA Young Player of the Year Award.

Anelka’s attitude became a problem. Wage demands came in and the Arsenal faithful turned on him, branding him Le Sulk. After just two and half seasons with Arsenal, he was sold to Real Madrid for £22.5m, earning Arsenal a profit of £22m.

Anelka’s sale funded the transfers of Arsenal legends Thierry Henry and Nwankwo Kanu, who between them made over 360 appearances and scored 270 goals. That was £500k well invested.

5. Eric Cantona to Manchester United: £1.2m - 1992

Eric Cantona was signed for £1.2m in 1992 from Leeds United after managing only nine goals in 28 games. He went on to play in 143 league games for United, scoring 64 times.

During his time in Manchester, "King Eric" won four Premier League titles, two F.A cups, and three Charity Shields. He was named PFA Players’ Player of the Year in 1994, and in 1996 he won the FWA Footballer of the Year.

Cantana lead the United attack in their two Double winning seasons, making Man. United the first team to win the double twice. He also captained United during the 1996/97 season on their way to their forth Premier League title.

Cantona has been hailed as another iconic player to wear the No. 7 while playing at Old Trafford. He also made playing with the collar of the jersey raised a sporting craze.

Despite spitting on a Leeds fan and throwing himself over signage to kick a Crystal Palace fan, Man. United fans hold Eric Cantona in the highest regard.

4. Kolo Toure to Arsenal: £150k - 2002

Kolo Toure managed to make 225 league appearances for Arsenal in his career. He cost Arsenal a lowly £666 per league appearance, which is unbelievable for a player who has performed so efficiently at such a high level.

Toure has scored just under 10 league goals for the Gunners as well. He has played over 20 games in all seven seasons of the Premier League since his arrival in 2002.

While at Arsenal, he helped them lift the 2003/04 Premier League and two F.A cups. He was also at the heart of their defense during their impressive run to the Champions League final, which ended in a bitter loss to Barcelona.

Manchester City signed Toure at the start of this season for £14 million, which is his original cost 94-fold.

3. Cesc Fabregas to Arsenal: Free - 2003

Arsenal were guilty of kidnapping in 2003; Arsene Wenger took 16-year old Cesc Fabregas from Barcelona to London.

Since signing for Arsenal, he has become the playmaker of the midfield and the heart and soul of the club. Cesc has played in over 180 league encounters for Arsenal despite just being 22 years of age.

He has also scored 28 league goals so far as a Gunner. He was named in the UEFA Team of the Year 2006. He was nominated in 2007 for both PFA Players’ Player of the Year and PFA Young Player of the Year, but lost out in both to Cristiano Ronaldo.

He won the 2007 Arsenal Player of the Season with 60 percent of the voting. For two years running Fabregas was nominated for PFA Players’ Player of the Year and PFA Young Player of the Year. He won the latter of the two and was also named in the PFA Team of the Year.

In November 2008 he was handed the captaincy of the club at just 21 years, taking over from William Gallas. Fabregas has only managed to win two pieces of silverware in his young but lengthy career: The 2004/05 F.A cup and Charity Shield.

There is heavy speculation that Fabregas will be heading back to Barcelona for a fee exceeding £50 million.

2. Shay Given to Newcastle United: £1.5m - 1997

Shay Given was signed from Blackburn in 1997 after he could not manage to hold down a first team place. Newcastle United received 13 years of loyalty from Shay Given who many criticize for not seeking a move to a “bigger” club in search of silverware.

Given, with the exception of a First Division win on loan with Sunderland, has gone his entire footballing career without a medal. The closest he came to winning a medal was in 1998 and 1999 when he won two F.A cup runner-up medals.

Given made the Premier League Team of the Season in 2001/02 and again in 2005/06.

Over his 13 year spell at St. James Park, Given made 354 appearances. Shay Given cost Newcastle £4,230 per game between the posts. For a keeper who is considered one, if not the best goalkeeper in the Premier League, and has been for over the last number of years, that is unbeatable value.

1. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to Manchester United: £1.5m - 1996

In 1996, Sir Alex Ferguson signed a Norwegian striker named Ole Gunnar Solskjear.

Three years later Ole scored a last minute goal from a Teddy Sheringham header to beat Bayern Munich in the Nou Camp. That goal lead Man. United to the Champions League trophy and the 1999 Treble. For that alone, Ole is an undisputed United legend.

Over his 11 years with United, he made 235 league games and was just nine goals shy of a century.

Ole Gunnar was nicknamed the "Baby-Face Assassin" due to his boyish looks. While enjoying 11 years as a Red Devil, he won six Premier League titles. He also won two F.A Cup medals and two runner-up medals, One Intercontinental Cup and Champions League Medal, a runner-up medal in the League cup, and UEFA Super Cup.

Solskjaer became world-renowned for his ability to come off the bench and make a significant impact on a game, none more important than during the aforementioned Champions League final.

Ole suffered a bad injury, forcing him miss half  of the 2003/04 season. He then missed the entire 2004/05 season with another injury. After consistent knee problems and discomfort, Solskjaer retired in 2007.

Since his retirement, fans have urged Alex Ferguson to retire the United No. 20 in dedication to Ole Gunner Solskjaer. He cost United a measly £6,380 per match, and £16,500 per goal.

Each worth every penny.