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20 Best Premier League Bargains Of All Time

20 Best Premier League Bargains Of All Time

There's been loads of great transfers in the history of the Premier League but which ones are the best value for money?

Ryan Sidle

Ryan Sidle

Clubs will pay whatever they can to buy the best players but some players end up being worth far more than the buying and selling team ever could have imagined.

Transfer fees have gone up and up over the years but some clubs still manage to pull off some big bargains, with a couple of transfers from just five years ago on the list.

According to FourFourTwo, Eric Cantona's move from Leeds United to Manchester United in 1992 is the best bargain since the Premier League began, and it's difficult to argue.

1. Eric Cantona - Leeds to Manchester United, 1992 (£1.2m)

Cantona is one of the most important players in Premier League history. Image: PA Images
Cantona is one of the most important players in Premier League history. Image: PA Images

2. Sol Campbell - Tottenham to Arsenal, 2002 (free)

3. N'Golo Kante - Caen to Leicester City, 2015 (£5.6m)

4. Lucas Radebe - Kaizer Chiefs to Leeds, 1994 (£50,000)

5. Nicolas Anelka - PSG to Arsenal, 1997 (£500,000)

6. Patrick Vieira - Milan to Arsenal, 1996 (£3.5m)

7. Edwin van der Sar - Fulham to Manchester United, 2005 (£2m)

8. Dele Alli - MK Dons to Tottenham, 2015 (£5m)

9. Sami Hyypia - Willem II to Liverpool, 1999 (£2.6m)

10. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer - Molde to Manchester United, 1996 (£1.5m)

11. Jurgen Klinsmann - Monaco to Tottenham, 1994 (£2m)

12. Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink - Boavista to Leeds, 1997 (£2m)

13. David Ginola - PSG to Newcastle, 1995 (£2.5m)

14. Vincent Kompany - Hamburg to Manchester City, 2008 (£6m)

15. Nemanja Vidic - Spartak Moscow to Manchester United, 2005 (£7m)

16. Graeme Le Saux - Chelsea to Blackburn, 1993 (£700,000)

17. Joe Hart - Shrewsbury to Manchester City, 2006 (£600,000)

18. Shay Given - Blackburn to Newcastle, 1997 (£1.5m)

19. Seamus Coleman - Sligo Rovers to Everton, 2009 (£60,000 rising to £300,000)

20. Jay-Jay Okocha - PSG to Bolton, 2002 (free)

Big Sam with Jay-Jay Okocha. Image: PA Images
Big Sam with Jay-Jay Okocha. Image: PA Images

Cantona had won the final title before the Premier League started in 1992 with Leeds and, whilst £1.2 million wasn't so cheap 28 years ago, he lit the blue touch paper at Old Trafford for the Red Devils' domination of the league under Sir Alex Ferguson.

The French enigma helped Fergie bring the title to United for the first time in 25 years and scored 64 times in 143 league games to help the side win four league titles.

His impact on the team was as much about his personality as his goal scoring.

Spurs fans might not like seeing Sol Campbell's move across north London to rivals Arsenal for absolutely nothing on the list, but there's no doubt the Englishman deserves his spot.

The centre back won two league titles and two FA Cups whilst at Highbury and was an integral part of the Invincibles' season in 2003/04.

Campbell won the double with Arsenal, only angering Spurs fans further. Image: PA Images
Campbell won the double with Arsenal, only angering Spurs fans further. Image: PA Images

N'Golo Kante's move to Leicester completes the top three and with just a £5.6 million fee it's really easy to see why.

The French midfielder was a major part of the Foxes surprise title win in 2015/16, the season he moved to the King Power Stadium, and then made them a huge profit when he moved to Chelsea for £32 million a year after arriving.

That he's gone on to also win the title with Chelsea proves just how much more than his original fee he was worth.

Who is your favourite Premier League bargain? Let us know in the comments.

Featured Image Credit:

Topics: Spurs, Football News, Leicester City, Chelsea, Manchester United, Sir Alex Ferguson, Transfer stories, Transfer rumours, Arsenal, Transfer news, Eric Cantona, N'Golo Kante, Transfer reports