Best Premier League Signings Ever – 25 Greatest Deals
7. Vincent Kompany [Hamburg to Man City, £6m]
Kompany was brought from Hamburg in 2008 as a defensive midfielder. However, the player turned out to be one of the best and most influential captains and defenders in the premier league. He even scored crucial goals against United in 2012 and Leicester in 2019 to win his team the league.
6. Sergio Aguero [Atletico Madrid to Man City, £35m]
Sergio Aguero is one of the best Manchester City players ever, if not the best. He is famous for his last-minute winner against QPR that won city the league title in 2012. The striker also holds the best strike rate at 0.70 goals per game in the premier league and has scored over 250 goals. His transfer fee of £35m seems a great bargain now. He certainly deserves a statue outside Etihad Stadium more than anyone.
5. Cristiano Ronaldo [Sporting Lisbon to Man Utd, £12.24m]
Everyone knows the story behind Ronaldo signing and the impact he had on the premier league in just 4 years. Even if he ignores the talent and the trophies, he made united a £75m profit when he moved to Madrid. This is enough for him to make the list.
4. Frank Lampard [West Ham to Chelsea, £11m]
Lampard was an upcoming player at West Ham when Chelsea brought him for £11m in 2001. The Midfielder went to become Chelsea All-time top goalscorer and won numerous trophies. It says a lot that he was a centerpiece in a Chelsea side known to spend big in each transfer window.
3. Patrick Vieira [AC Milan to Arsenal, £3.5m]
In the summer of 1996, Arsenal signed a tall midfielder from AC Milan for £3.5m. It was a steep price for a 20-year old player. Vieira proved everyone wrong as he went on to dominate Highbury for the next decade. Such was his brilliance that Arsenal hasn’t been able to find his replacement yet.
2. Thierry Henry [Juventus to Arsenal, £11m]
Henry was a struggling winger when Arsene Wenger plucked him from Juventus for £11m in 1999. He went on to become arguably the best player of the Premier League era. After 8 years of excellent service, he was sold to Barcelona for double his signing amount.
1. Eric Cantona [Leeds to Man Utd, £1.2m]
Cantona was the first superstar of the premier league. He was the main reason in Leeds winning the first division in 1992. After this, he was plucked by Alex Ferguson for £1.2m. After this, he became the king at Old Trafford, and his legacy speaks for itself.
Players who just missed out –
Petr Cech, Joe Hart, Mo. Salah, Luis Suarez, Jay-Jay Okocha, Seamus Coleman, Kevin de Bruyne, Rio Ferdinand etc