5 bargain summer signings in the EPL this season

With the season approaching the halfway, clubs across Europe have gone back to their drawing boards to finalize their targets for the January transfer window. But having spent a whopping 835 million pounds on transfers during the summer, the English Premier League clubs are the forerunners to be the highest spenders in the winter as well.Barring a few sides like Chelsea and West Ham, almost all sides from the English top flight is expected to do some business to keep their respective season objectives intact. As the clubs prepare for the window to begin, they would also be wary of the transfer window that has just gone by.Taking a look back to the summer, the clubs have made all sorts of signings- players who seem to be there for squad depth, young players for the future, big money signings that worked and those that have failed miserably and then there has been some real bargain signings who have exceeded all expectations. In what is quickly becoming an extremely inflated market, some players were bought very cheaply in comparison to other similar players, but have gone onto be great value for money.We take a look at 5 summer signings (not including players on loan) who cost their sides around or below 5 million pounds and still have really impressed so far:

#5 Ayoze Perez (Newcastle United)

In what was a busy summer for Newcatle, Ayoze Perez made his way to St.James Park as one among the 7 new recruits. Perez signed for Newcatle from Tenerife in Spanish second division for a paltry 1.5 million pounds. Having arrived alongside bigger and experienced stars like Remy Cabella, Siem De Jong and Emmanuel Riviere, Ayoze was never expected to be a regular starter for Newcastle. But while all the big money signings failed to deliver, the 21-year-old Perez happily grabbed the very first opportunity he got in the starting lineup by scoring against Spurs.

Perez has started all but one game since his first start and has impressed for the Tynesiders with 3 goals to his name already, while De Jong, Cabella and Riviere are all yet to open their accounts.

TRANSFER FEE: £1.5 MILLION

#4 Aaron Cresswell (West Ham United)

The 24 year old moved from Ipswich Town to West Ham United in the summer after catching the eyes of the scouts last season with impressive performances at left-back for Ipswich. For the Championship club, he appeared in all but 7 matches across 3 seasons and bagged 6 goals and 24 assists. Having moved into the tougher Premier League now, Cresswell has adapted brilliantly and carried his form from last season into this season.

Creswell has started all of West Hams league matches so far and has impressed both at the back and going forward. He has a goal, 2 assists and averages of 1.07 key passes per game, 5.20 clearances per game, 0.73 blocks per game, 1.13 tackles per game and 0.87 interceptions per game, which is impressive for a 15 million pound left-back, let alone what West Ham paid for him.

TRANSER FEE: 3.75 MILLION WITH ADD-ONS

#3 Jefferson Montero (Swansea City)

Swansea has done reasonably well in the transfer market in the recent times and the capture of the Ecuadorian midfielder was yet another signing they would be proud of. Montero who has played for Villarreal, Levante and Real Betis before, signed from Mexican club Monarcas Morelia, for a fee around 4 million pounds after impressing at the FIFA World Cup.

Even though he was kept out of the side initially by Nathan Dyer and Wayne Routledge, Montero has now cemented his place in the Swans side with 3 assists from the 7 matches he has started, and that has left the other two to fight it out for the remaining spot on the flanks.

Montero is blessed with great speed and he has not been shy to put it to work, especially against Arsenal when he made an absolute mockery of Calum Chambers. Still 25 years old, Montero has time and talent on his hand to be better. There is no denying that he is a real bargain buy for Swansea.

TRANSER FEE: £4 MILLION

#2 Bojan Krkic (Stoke City)

No list of bargain signings can afford to miss the name Bojan Krkic. In what was one of the most surprising transfers across the whole of the summer transfer window was the small and skilful Bojan making his way to Stoke City, a club known for its physical and long-ball gameplay. Stoke immediately had a bargain buy on their hands when they got someone who was once dubbed as ‘the new Messi’ and had a market value of upto 15 million Euros, for a paltry sum.

But as feared, Bojan struggled initially to adapt to Stoke’s and the Premier League’s physicality. But now, he seems to have settled down and with his class, has magically improved the overall gameplay of Stoke. With 2 goals and an assist in the last 6matches and an average of 1.91 chances created and 3.10 shots on target per 90 minutes, Bojan’s capture is easily one of the best businesses done by any club in the summer.

TRANSER FEE: £3 MILLION

#1 Diafra Sakho (West Ham United)

Having been heavily criticized for their rather defensive approach last season, Sam Allardyce’s West Ham looked extremely determined from the very beginning of pre-season to mend that, by signing Teddy Sheringham as the new attacking coach. Allardyce then went on a hunt for top quality strikers but Sunderland refused to lower their 8 million pound price tag for his primary target, Connor Wickham. Allardyce then went onto purchase Diafra Sakho from FC Metz in France’s second division instead for about half the price Sunderland placed on Wickham. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Sakho has been in top form with 5 goals in 6 starts before a shoulder injury kept him out for a handful of matches. But he returned last week against Swansea at half-time, and was immediately back among the scorers. Quick, powerful and brilliant in the air, Sakho has formed lethal partnerships with both Andy Carroll and Enner Valencia. Rumours of sides like Liverpool targeting the Senegalese striker are bound to happen, as unlike their big money signings, Sakho has been a bargain and also has been impressive big time.

TRANSER FEE: £4.75 MILLION