5 Best Bargain Signings By Premier League Sides

The story of the modern transfer market is one of spiralling prices and inflated transfer fees. It has become increasingly difficult for Premier League clubs to find bargain deals on key players due to the premium most English clubs have to pay as a result of their monstrous Sky Sports TV deal.

However, despite the circumstances, some clubs have still managed to pull off some excellent signings this summer. This is a countdown of the most impressive acquisitions made by Premier League clubs this summer in terms of value for money.

#5 Bernd Leno (Bayer Leverkusen to Arsenal, £19.2m)

The Unai Emery revolution has well and truly begun at Arsenal, with a number of new players coming in to fill the gaps that had begun to show during the team's decline at the end of the Arsene Wenger era. To sure up the defence, Uruguayan midfielder Lucas Torreira (£26.5m) and veteran Greek centre-back Sokratis Papastathopoulos (£17.7m) have joined the North London club.

However, the club's most astute signing may just be German international Bernd Leno, who will serve as the long-overdue replacement to Petr Cech. At 26 years of age, the former Bayer Leverkusen star has plenty to offer, being an entire ten years younger than his predecessor. While the initial outlay may seem costly for Arsenal, if he stays for the duration of his five-year contract, the approximately £4m a year Arsenal will be paying for a safe pair of hands can prove invaluable in a game which can often be decided on the tiniest of margins.

Even goalkeepers are no longer safe from spiraling transfer fees, as evidenced by the recent transfers of Ederson Moraes to Manchester City and Alisson Becker to Liverpool, which makes it even more impressive that Arsenal were able to strike such a good deal for a player who could be between the sticks at the Emirates for years to come.

#4 Jonny Evans (West Brom to Leicester City, £3.5m)

AFC Bournemouth v West Bromwich Albion - Premier League

Leicester City have developed something of a reputation for shrewd acquisitions, and their most recent capture of Jonny Evans from relegated West Bromwich Albion is no different. Using the vast profits made on the big-money sale of Riyad Mahrez, the Foxes are back in the hunt as they look to solidify their place in the Premier League.

Despite his advanced age, there is no doubting Jonny Evans' vast experience at the highest levels of the game - something that would be very welcome in what is shaping up to be a very young Leicester back-line next season.

Considering that the likes of title winners Manchester City were interested in paying a fee well into the seven figures for the Northern Ireland international, the £3.5m they were able to sign him for seems to be a bargain on par with some of their greatest signings.

#3 Xherdan Shaqiri (Stoke City to Liverpool, £13.5m)

Having represented some of Europe's top sides, including Bayern Munich and Inter Milan, the manner in which Xherdan Shaqiri's career has played out may appear disappointing to some fans. Despite his enormous potential, the Swiss star has spent the last three seasons at Stoke City, where his hit-and-miss form was not enough to save the club from relegation.

However, after a number of excellent performances for his country in the recent World Cup and 2016 European Championship, he has been handed an excellent chance to revive his career with a £13.5m to Liverpool, who triggered a clause in his contract to get their man for a fee clearly under what a player of his technical skill would normally be sold for in the modern market.

Under the stewardship of manager Jurgen Klopp and partnered with former Basel teammate Mohamed Salah, there is every reason to believe that Shaqiri can fulfill his potential at Anfield and reach the heights expected of him during his spells at Bayern and Inter, And if he is able to, this deal will appear like yet another genius piece of business by the Reds.

#2 Ramadan Sobhi (Stoke City to Huddersfield, £5.7m)

Huddersfield's dramatic Premier League survival last season will live long in the memory, as the Terriers managed to scrape valuable points at both the Etihad and Stamford Bridge in the final weeks of the season to cap off an incredible Premier League campaign.

Known for high-octane attacking football, Huddersfield coach David Wagner will be hoping to implement more of his philosophy on the playing style of the club this season, with the intention of steering them clear of what could turn out to be a very intense relegation battle.

The arrival of Egyptian winger Ramadan Sobhi from Stoke for just £5.7m will be seen as an absolute steal by the Terriers, due to his immense physical attributes and relative youth. At just 21 years old, the winger has made 41 appearances for Stoke City over the course of 2 seasons and has established himself as a key player for his nation, appearing in all three of Egypt's World Cup games in Russia over the summer.

A bright young player with a big future ahead of him, Huddersfield can take pride in the fact that they signed the player for such a measly fee in the modern transfer market, where potential can often be overpriced. Being both a stylistic fit and a future prospect, Ramadan Sobhi's transfer may turn out to be a masterstroke.

#1 Diogo Jota (Atletico Madrid to Wolves, £12.6m)

After a six-year-long absence from the English top flight, Wolverhampton Wanders have made their return in style. Led by former Porto and Valencia coach Nuno Espirito Santo, the club have used their ties to super agent Jorge Mendes to bring in a host of top-class Portuguese players, including Joao Moutinho, Rui Patricio and rising star Ruben Neves.

This summer, Wolves have struck a deal with Atletico Madrid to turn their loan deal for Diogo Jota into a permanent move for just £12.6m, an absolute bargain for a player of his quality. At just 21 years of age, the youngster has starred at various youth levels for the Portuguese national team and was seen as one of the brightest young prospects at the Rojiblancos.

Last season, Jota was one of the standout players in the Championship, finishing as the fifth highest scorer with an impressive 17 goals and 6 assists to his name. For his incredible talent and astronomically high resale value, Jota is surely one of the best pickups of this transfer window thus far and his signing could be the impetus for one of Wolves' greatest campaigns in recent memory.