Best "Cheap" Transfer

[Arjan Van Schotte]

Following on from a comment by Carl - The following is a selection of players signed for under £10M in the last 5 years - who do you think has been the best bit of business (pound for pound)?

And any omissions or suggestions from further back are welcome.

Joe Hart £600K
Elano £8M
Petrov £4.7M
Gelson £3M?
Bianchi £8.8M
Geovanni Free
Caicedo £5M
Zabaleta £7M
Kompany £6M
Ben Haim £5M
Given £6M
Johnson £8M?
Boateng £8M
Samaras £6M

Zab, Vinnie, Hart and Johnson are the obvious ones. Would struggle to separate zab and vinnie meself.

Interesting to note how much we've spent on players that have hardly gone on to set the world alight elsewhere...(not to mention players that we've still got that aren't playing).

[HeyMark]

Just posted in the zab thread 2 seconds ago, about vinnie and zab being two of our best players and both only costing £6mil each

[Original Dub]

Well Joe Hart when I look at that list.

You could be talking about our goalkeeper for the next 15 years or more and he cost just over half a million?

Mint.

[gillie]

When you consider the years Joe hopefully has left in him we really did steal the lad from Shrewsbury.So for me its Hart.

[Alioune DVToure]

Garrido only cost 1.5m, was a useful and cooperative squad player AND I believe we made a profit when he moved on to Lazio. Worth a shout.

1,000th post. Woop.

[Alioune DVToure]

Also Michael Ball and Emile Mpenza were great Bosmans for our position at that time and played a huge part in keeping us up in 06/07.

[BadKompany]

Kompany.Amongst the best centre halves in the world.
Take him out of the team and we're fvcked.

Morrison from the old era,brilliant inspirational signing - he grabbed us by the bollocks and instilled a winning mentality,which was hugely influential on where we are today.

[Junior Blue]

Mpenza arguabley saved us from relegation, at least that's where we were heading before we snapped him up. For that reason alone he's got to be right up there.

On current form though I'd have to say Kompay. I've gone into it in some detail in a number of articles across a wide spectrum of publications but I genuinely believe he's not just going to be a captain in the future but potentially a coach and manager based on his intellect, ties to the area, understanding of the game and intelligence, should he wish it.

[BadKompany]

Garrido only cost 1.5m, was a useful and cooperative squad player AND I believe we made a profit when he moved on to Lazio. Worth a shout.

1,000th post. Woop.

And to be fair,have we improved on him?

[Ted Hughes]

Also Michael Ball and Emile Mpenza were great Bosmans for our position at that time and played a huge part in keeping us up in 06/07.

Please don't mention Michael Ball, he gives me nightmares & causes me to remember Ben Thatcher as well, as they were both one and the same. Thank you.

Joe Hart btw.

[Alioune DVToure]

Also Michael Ball and Emile Mpenza were great Bosmans for our position at that time and played a huge part in keeping us up in 06/07.

Please don't mention Michael Ball, he gives me nightmares & causes me to remember Ben Thatcher as well, as they were both one and the same. Thank you.

Joe Hart btw.

Ball was found out in 07/08 when we kicked on, but he was a huge upgrade on Thatcher at the time (and therefore an excellent-value signing).

[Diggerman]

Pound for pound, Geovanni - (Free).

[Ted Hughes]

Also Michael Ball and Emile Mpenza were great Bosmans for our position at that time and played a huge part in keeping us up in 06/07.

Please don't mention Michael Ball, he gives me nightmares & causes me to remember Ben Thatcher as well, as they were both one and the same. Thank you.

Joe Hart btw.

Ball was found out in 07/08 when we kicked on, but he was a huge upgrade on Thatcher at the time (and therefore an excellent-value signing).

All they did was trim Thatcher's hair & send him out under a different name.

[Alioune DVToure]

Also Michael Ball and Emile Mpenza were great Bosmans for our position at that time and played a huge part in keeping us up in 06/07.

Please don't mention Michael Ball, he gives me nightmares & causes me to remember Ben Thatcher as well, as they were both one and the same. Thank you.

Joe Hart btw.

Ball was found out in 07/08 when we kicked on, but he was a huge upgrade on Thatcher at the time (and therefore an excellent-value signing).

All they did was trim Thatcher's hair & send him out under a different name.

I don't often feel this way but I strongly disagree with you. Ball might not have been a worldbeater but he did strengthen up that left side of the defence massively at a time when we seemed to be sliding toward the drop. And he didn't cost a penny. Brilliant horses-for-courses signing.

[Ted Hughes]

Also Michael Ball and Emile Mpenza were great Bosmans for our position at that time and played a huge part in keeping us up in 06/07.

Please don't mention Michael Ball, he gives me nightmares & causes me to remember Ben Thatcher as well, as they were both one and the same. Thank you.

Joe Hart btw.

Ball was found out in 07/08 when we kicked on, but he was a huge upgrade on Thatcher at the time (and therefore an excellent-value signing).

All they did was trim Thatcher's hair & send him out under a different name.

I don't often feel this way but I strongly disagree with you. Ball might not have been a worldbeater but he did strengthen up that left side of the defence massively at a time when we seemed to be sliding toward the drop. And he didn't cost a penny. Brilliant horses-for-courses signing.

I agree with the horses bit. It's fucking hard work where I'm sat, watching a succession of heart stopping left backs at close range.

[ronk]

Hart was £1.6m due to the playing for England clause. Still great value.

I thought Given was great value all things considered too.

[ross.mcfc]

Pearce signed Hart, Ball and Mpenza for less than $2M. Ball and Mpenza made a massive difference to our side at the time.

[carl_feedthegoat]

Garrido only cost 1.5m, was a useful and cooperative squad player AND I believe we made a profit when he moved on to Lazio. Worth a shout.

1,000th post. Woop.

shit speech.

[Slim]

Hart was £1.6m due to the playing for England clause. Still great value.

I thought Given was great value all things considered too.

I think you'll find it was Johnson who had the £1M England cap clause, not Hart.

[ronk]

Hart was £1.6m due to the playing for England clause. Still great value.

I thought Given was great value all things considered too.

I think you'll find it was Johnson who had the £1M England cap clause, not Hart.

http://www.shropshirestar.com/latest/2008/07/01/town-in-wait-for-extra-hart-money/