Bargain signings are some of the best in football, and this season in the Premier League, we have seen our fair share of shrewd purchases that have gone on to make huge impacts.
Whilst the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United went huge on transfer fees and Norwich City essentially signed a whole new squad, some clubs took different approaches to their summer business, and in most cases, it completely paid off.
And here, we would like to honour those clubs and players who have proven this season that a big transfer fee doesn’t equal guaranteed success, with the likes of Arsenal and Newcastle United landing some of the best signings of this campaign at bargain prices.
Takehiro Tomiyasu – Arsenal, £15m
The Gunners went a bit mental last summer, spending the most out of any club in Europe and refreshing the squad with six new signings, the last of which was one Takehiro Tomiyasu from Bologna on deadline day, a shock move at the time.
A complete unknown in England, not many Arsenal fans knew what to expect from Tomiyasu, but the Japanese defender has been quite incredible for the north London side, with the 23-year-old making the right-back position his own and quickly becoming a favourite at the Emirates Stadium.
Connor Roberts – Burnley, £2.5m
Burnley have become something of a specialist when it comes to cheap homegrown signings, and the Clarets once again pulled off another bargain move last summer in the form of Wales international Connor Roberts.
For a reported £2.5m, the 25-year-old has been Burnley’s starting right-back for most of 2022, and under Mike Jackson, Roberts has been one of the Turf Moor side’s best players, keeping two clean sheets and scoring in their 2-0 win against Southampton.
Michael Olise – Crystal Palace, £8m
£8m for a guaranteed Premier League starter at the age of 19 is quite something in terms of summer signings, yet that’s just what Crystal Palace managed to do last year for Reading star Michael Olise.
The France U-21 international was picked up by the Eagles after Patrick Vieira’s side met Olise’s release clause, and the transfer has been nothing but a bona fide success, with the winger one of Palace’s most productive players and the forward establishing himself as one of the Premier League’s talents for the future.
Demarai Gray – Everton, £1.7m
For a while, it felt like all the media could talk about was how much Everton spent to sign Demarai Gray, who at the start of the season was in electric form for the Toffees after Rafa Benitez signed the winger for just £1.7m.
A signing so cheap meant no matter what impact Gray meant it would be worth something for Everton, and six goals and four assists later, the 25-year-old has arguably proven to be THE value for money transfer in the Premier League this season.
Dan Burn – Newcastle United, £13m
It’s often hyperbole to say that a signing can change a club, yet in the case of Newcastle and Dan Burn, the January transfer did just that, with the 6’7” defender changing the Toon’s backline for the better and launching Eddie Howe’s side off the bottom of the Premier League.
Five clean sheets and a Player of the Month award have seen the Blyth-born defender already become a fan favourite at St. James Park, and Burn’s form has been key to Newcastle’s comfortable end to the season.
Craig Dawson – West Ham, £2m
After a successful loan spell in 2020/21, West Ham signed Craig Dawson on a permanent deal for just £2m, and the veteran defender has once again been exceptional for the Irons both in the Premier League and in Europe.
A dream run to the UEFA Europa League semi-finals was inspired by Dawson, who scored a key goal in the quarter-finals against Lyon, and the defender’s nickname of ‘Ballon d’Orson’ was one of the funniest moments of the campaign, with BT Sport even getting in on the fun.
Jose Sa – Wolves, £7m
Selling a player as influential as Rui Patricio was always going to be difficult for Wolves, but not many fans expected his successor, Jose Sa, to not only be cheaper, but also out-perform their former no. 1.
The Portuguese keeper has been sensational for Wolves this campaign, with Sa’s performances a key reason why the Molineux side were in the race for Europe for as long as they were, and the next campaign promises to be an exciting one for the West Midlands side under Bruno Lage, especially if he can repeat his transfer business this summer.
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