Top 5 bargains this transfer window

Gareth Bale

It is common belief today that starpower costs big bucks, and most of the big clubs today are willing to invest in the players who they think can take the team forward. But regardless of the Cristiano Ronaldos and the Gareth Bales, this is not always the case, since some of the best players initially started off with low rates and then proved to be indispensable to their respective sides. These are a few of the best transfer bargains that have taken place in the transfer window this year – players who went at low prices, but are worth their weight in gold.

David Villa

David Villa

Barcelona to Atletico Madrid (£4.4million)

This transfer is an obvious mention on this list, with Barcelona agreeing to sell one of their finest forwards to La Liga rivals Atletico Madrid, with a deal of a maximum of € 5.1 million, 2.1 million being due this year, and the rest if he stays at the club for the next two seasons. With the Rojiblancos in dire need of a replacement for Radamel Falcao who moved to French club AS Monaco this year, supposedly to follow in the footsteps of his idol Thierry Henry, this was most likely a smart move.

Though Villa has not been at his best over the past year, the Vicente Calder?n is known to be a breeding ground for stars, and if the Spaniard manages to get back into stride, then this could prove to be a wonderful comeback for one of the national side’s most prolific strikers.

Aleksandar Tonev(L)

Aleksandar Tonev

Lech Pozna? to Aston Villa (£2.5million)

This could be the big break for this promising young Bulgarian midfielder, who moved to Villa Park from Polish club Lech Pozna? in June. An exciting player to watch and wonderful with both feet, Tonev is capable of operating on both wings and with his lightweight frame, he relies on pace rather than power, making him well suited for counter attacking play. This young talent was manager Paul Lambert’s first signing of the summer, and though he might need time to adjust to the ways of the Premier League, he could make quite a big impact.

Nacer Chadli

Nacer Chadli

FC Twente to Tottenham Hotspur (£7million)

The Premier League’s Belgian revolution continues as Tottenham snapped up the impressive winger to add to their now impressive line-up, which includes their two other fantastic new signings, Roberto Soldado and Paulinho. Occasionally compared to Cristiano Ronaldo owing to his technique and pace, Chadli will bring stability to an already strong midfield at White Hart Lane, at the same time providing a goalscoring threat. Labelled by former Spurs manager Co Adriaanse as the “complete player”, Chadli will give manager Andres Villas-Boas various options owing to his versatility, and is likely to contribute to the Spurs’ title challenge this season.

Fernando Llorente

Fernando Llorente

Athletic Bilbao to Juventus (free)

In what has got to be the most remarkable coup of the season, Juventus has managed to acquire Spanish striker Fernando Llorente completely for free. Having played for nine seasons at Bilbao after graduating from their youth academy, he is arguably in the prime of his career and should have no problem adapting to life with the Bianconeri, with the support of the likes of Andrea Pirlo, Paul Pogba and Arturo Vidal. Manager Antonio Conte’s side will now be the team to beat in the Serie A, with what is probably the best defence in Italy, and one of the strongest midfields.

Luis Alberto

Luis Alberto

Sevilla FC to Liverpool (£6.8million)

With new manager Brendan Rodgers labelling him “another Philippe Coutinho”, the young forward is the latest to join the Premier League’s ever-growing Spanish Armada. Considered to be one of Sevilla’s most promising players since Jesus Navas, Alberto is still relatively untested but clearly has massive potential, and is wonderfully adept at controlling the ball and times his runs almost perfectly. Not having got much of a chance to showcase his talent at Andalucia, he hopes to remedy that at his new club, who clearly have tremendous belief in him.