In the 21st century, football teams are spending more and more money in the transfer market. Players are more expensive than ever. Teams like Manchester City, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain and their free-spending has pushed prices to incredibly high levels. Even now, though, it's still possible to find a bargain every once in a while.
Some teams are still unearthing hidden gems and bringing them into the fold for relatively low fees. It's one thing to spend little on a player, but when they prove to be a major hit, it's even better. So here are the 10 biggest transfer bargains of the 21st century. Full disclosure, only players who cost a fee have been considered and those who joined teams for free have been saved for their own article - therfore, the likes of James Milner and his move to Liverpool hasn't been included.
10 Robin van Persie - £2.75m
Feyenoord to Arsenal (2004)
Robin van Persie celebrates scoring Arsenal's fourth goal vs Newcaslte
Arsenal fans might not care to remember Robin van Persie's spell at the club considering how he departed for Manchester United in 2012, but there's no denying how big a bargain he was. Signed from Feyenoord in 2004, the Dutchman arrived in north London for just £2.75m and went on to become a star for the Gunners.
He arrived as a young 20-year-old prospect and blossomed into a blistering goalscorer during his time at Arsenal. Over the course of 278 appearances, Van Persie recorded 188 goal contributions. He eventually moved to Old Trafford in 2012, destroying his relationship with Arsenal fans, but they made a £20m profit on him.
Robin van Persie's Arsenal Career
Appearances
Goals
Trophies won
9 Ashley Cole - £5m + William Gallas
Arsenal to Chelsea (2006)
Ashley Cole playing for Chelsea.
In comparison to some of the other inclusions on this list, Chelsea actually paid quite a bit for Ashley Cole. As well as £5m, they sent quality centre-back William Gallas to the Emirates in return for the Englishman. They'd been chasing the left-back for a while and it quickly became apparent why.
Cole is regarded as one of the greatest left-backs of all-time and certainly the best in Premier League history. He slotted into the position at Stamford Bridge and quickly made it his own. He was a winger's nightmare throughout his time with the Blues and provided a major upgrade at Chelsea. Gallas was a solid player, but Cole was so good that it's still considered quite a steal.
Ashley Cole's Chelsea Career
Appearances
Goals
Trophies won
8 Cristiano Ronaldo - £12m
Sporting CP to Manchester United (2003)
Cristiano Ronaldo vs Southampton
He may be the most expensive player on this list at £12m, but Cristiano Ronaldo still proved to be a major bargain for United after he joined the club in 2003. After catching the eye of Sir Alex Ferguson during a friendly between Sporting CP and the Red Devils, the Portuguese sensation was quickly snapped up by the Premier League side.
He arrived with bags of potential and a reputation for trickery, but evolved into one of the best players in the world and a Ballon d'Or winner during his time in Manchester. He was influential in the club winning mutiple Premier League titles, a Champions League trophy and much more. He left the side in 2009, heading to Real Madrid, but they received a record-breaking transfer fee in the process. Not bad for £12m.
Cristiano Ronaldo's Manchester United Career
Appearances
Goals
Trophies won
7 Cesar Azpilicueta - £6.5m
Marseille to Chelsea (2012)
César Azpilicueta celebrating.
Cesar Azpilicueta's move to Chelsea in 2012 wasn't considered an important bit of business at the time. The defender had been playing for Marseille for two years beforehand, but he wasn't really on the radar of most football fans. The Blues spent £6.5m on his services and he went on to justify that fee and then some.
Whether it was out wide or in the heart of defence, the Spaniard quickly became an important fixture for Chelsea. He stepped up and became captain after the departure of Gary Cahill and was influential as his side won two Premier League titles as well as 11 other major pieces of silverware, including the Champions League title in 2021. He played over 500 games for the team before moving on after 11 years. What a servant.
Cesar Azpilicueta's Chelsea Career
Appearances
Goals
Trophies won
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6 N'Golo Kante - £5.6m
Caen to Leicester City (2015)
N'Golo Kante
He may have only spent one season at Leicester City, but the impact that N'Golo Kante had on the trajectory of the club cannot be overstated. After narrowly avoiding relegation the season before, the Foxes added the Frenchman to their midfield and he took to the Premier League like a duck to water.
Kante was the engine of a tremendous Leicester side that shocked the world, racing to the league title in one of the biggest underdog stories in football history. His work-rate couldn't be matched and he was named Leicester's Players' Player of the Season during his single campaign at the King Power Stadium. He did all that for just £5.6m too.
N'Golo Kante's Leicester Career
Appearances
Goals
Trophies won
5 Edwin van der Sar - £2m
Fulham to Manchester United (2005)
Edwin van der Sar
Following Peter Schmeichel's United departure, Sir Alex Ferguson struggled to find a replacement for the Dane and he went through multiple candidates over the years. None quite lived up to the man who is considered the greatest Premier League goalkeeper of all-time. That was until Edwin van der Sar joined the team in 2005.
Having impressed at Fulham prior to the switch, the Dutchman was an instant hit at Old Trafford. He was a phenom in between the sticks and won plenty of points for the Red Devils single-handedly. When Van Der Sar moved to United, the club had gone two years without winning a league title. His move sparked a rejuvenation for the team and they finished first in three of his first 4 years in the team. For £2m, they couldn't have asked for much more.
4 Riyad Mahrez - £400,000
Le Havre to Leicester City (2014)
Riyad Mahrez Leicester City
Riyad Mahrez was unknown to many when he made a move to Leicester in 2014. The forward joined the side several months before their promotion to the Premier League and cost just £400,000. It took a while for the Algerian to find his feet in England, but once he did, he dominated defences and was largely responsible for the Foxes' incredible title win in 2016.
Named the PFA Player of the Year during that historic campaign, Mahrez's dazzling footwork left his opponents perplexed and he became a hero at the King Power Stadium. While Kante left immediately after winning the title, his teammate stuck around a little longer and went on to play 179 times for the Foxes before he brought them around £60m in 2018 as a result of a move to Manchester City. A league title, 84 goal contributions and a £59.6m profit. Incredible.
Ryad Mahrez's Leicester Career
Appearances
Goals
Trophies won
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3 Marcelo - £4.75m
Fluminense to Real Madrid (2007)
Marcelo
When Marcelo was signed by Real Madrid in 2007 as a promising teenager, it was said that the expectation was that he'd serve as a long-term replacement for Roberto Carlos. The Brazilian had been a star in Spain for some time and they were some pretty big boots to fill. It's a testament to how good Marcelo was at the Santiago Bernabeu, then, that he even managed to surpass those lofty expectations and then some.
The former Fluminense man cost less than £5m and almost instantly became a key figure in the Madrid side. He won 25 trophies during his 15-year stint with Los Blancos and even spent time as captain during his 546 appearances with the team. He's now regarded as one of the best wing-backs in football history. Not bad for £4.75m.
Marcelo's Real Madrid Career
Appearances
Goals
Trophies won
2 Robert Lewandowski - £4m
Lech Poznan to Borussia Dortmund (2010)
Robert Lewandowski Borussia Dortmund
Robert Lewandowski has been a prolific goalscorer wherever he's played throughout his career. He had been impressing for two years at Lech Poznan when Borussia Dortmund snapped him up in 2010. The Bundesliga side spent just £4m on his services at the time and it proved to be a stroke of genius. After a slow first season in Germany, he soon became a huge hit and torched defences for three straight years.
He scored over 100 goals in four seasons with Dortmund and won two league titles with the team before moving to Bayern Munich on a free transfer, also becoming one of the best free signings in football history as well. He went on to thrive with Bayern and is still playing at a very high level with Barcelona to this day. To think, a volcanic ash cloud is all that prevented him joining Sam Allardyce's Blackburn Rovers instead of Dortmund in 2010. Things could have been very different.
Robert Lewandowski's Borussia Dortmund Career
Appearances
Goals
Trophies won
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1 Vincent Kompany - £6m
Anderlecht to Manchester City (2008)
Vincent Kompany
In August 2008, Manchester City were taken over by the Abu Dhabi United Group. They quickly splashed serious cash, signing the likes of Robinho, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Pablo Zabaleta in that first month in charge. They also signed Vincent Kompany and the Belgian cost less than all three of those men.
The centre-back had emerged as a solid talent at Anderlecht and City took a chance on him, spending £6m to bring him to the Etihad. The rest is history. Kompany was a natural leader and under his stewardship, the Manchester-based team entered the most successful period in their history. Injuries might have hindered his availability to the team towards the end of his run, but whenever he was available, he was one of the most important players on the pitch for City. He cost just £1m more than Tal Ben Haim, who also moved to the Etihad that summer.
With 12 trophies to his name at City, Kompany was the perfect man to lead the club through their new era of dominance.
Vincent Kompany's Manchester City Career
Appearances
Goals
Trophies won
All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt and accurate as of 01/12/2024