Chelsea's Michael Ballack, Ashley Cole and Frank Lampard celebrate with the trophy after winning the league with an 8-0 victory during the Barclays Premier League match between Chelsea and Wigan Athletic at Stamford Bridge on May 9, 2010
Premier League clubs are frequently smashing their transfer records - but there's still plenty to be said for knowing how to land a bargain.
Michael Ballack's 2006 move to Chelsea is the perfect example of a big-spending team getting the most value from someone on a free.
Michael Ballack of Chelsea Legends reacts from the dugout during the Legends match between Chelsea Legends and Liverpool Legends at Stamford Bridge11
One of the Premier League's greatest players and among the best freebies, Ballack is celebrating his 50th birthday
Belgian midfielder Jean-Marc Bosman changed football forever when he set the precedent for free transfers in 1995.
The Premier League was still in its infancy then, but within years the ruling had facilitated some of the biggest moves in the market.
Real Madrid, in particular, have utilised the free agency market the best in recent years - most notably with the arrival of Kylian Mbappe.
However, the Premier League have enjoyed their fair share of bargains as well, so to celebrate one of the best as Ballack turns 50, talkSPORT.com runs through 10 of the greatest in the top-flight...
10. Esteban Cambiasso - Leicester
For many fans, the 46-year-old ranks as one of the greatest free transfers when he left Real Madrid for Inter in 2004.
But Cambiasso also has a case to be the Premier League's most underrated Bosman when he joined Leicester a decade later.
Nigel Pearson’s side had just returned to the Premier League and pulled off a massive coup with the capture of a player who had lifted the Champions League just four years earlier.
Cambiasso spent just one season at the King Power Stadium, scoring on his first start for the Foxes with the equalising goal in the 5-3 victory over Manchester United.
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He won Leicester City’s Player of the Season award by proving an ever-present force in their ‘Great Escape’, which saw the club avoid relegation by winning 22 points from their last nine games.
Remove his impact that year and arguably the Foxes aren't even in the Premier League the following season to win the title at the now famous odds of 5,000/1.
Esteban Cambiasso scores for Leicester City against Queens Park Rangers11
Without Cambiasso's heroics Leicester's title win 5000/1 title win in 2016 may not have been possible
9 . Demba Ba - Newcastle
West Ham recouped more than £200million in player sales this summer following their relegation, with the exits of Mateus Fernandes, Crysencio Summerville, El Hadji Malick Diouf and Freddie Potts.
However, in stark contrast, the last time the Irons dropped out of the Premier League, they lost the brilliant Ba on a free to Newcastle.
Despite being offered £50,000-a-week by the Hammers, the Senegalese jumped at the chance to stay in England's top-flight.
And the result was that he became one of the Magpies’ greatest ever free transfers, scoring 29 goals in 58 appearances over 18 months.
Ba scored 16 Premier League goals in his first season to help Newcastle secure an unlikely fifth-place finish under Alan Pardew and qualify for the Europa League.
He then managed to bag a further 13 times in 20 matches before joining Chelsea in a cut-price £7m transfer in January 2013.
Demba Ba of Newcastle United celebrates his goal during the Barclays Premier League match between Newcastle United and West Bromwich Albion at St James' Park11
Ba played the best football of his career at Newcastle
8. Joel Matip - Liverpool
"In a world of big transfer fees, to sign a player like Joel Matip on a free transfer is incredible," said Jurgen Klopp in 2019. "It was maybe one of the best pieces of business we did in the last few years."
Considering that during that period, Klopp signed the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Alisson Becker, Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, Georginio Wijnaldum, Fabinho, and Andy Robertson, those words shouldn't be taken lightly.
Matip was only recently named number 72 on Liverpool's official list of their 100 greatest ever players; such was his impact at the club.
The 35-year-old won every major trophy during an eight-year spell at Liverpool following his arrival on a free transfer from Schalke in 2016.
He is one of only 15 defenders to have ever claimed the Premier League Player of the Month award, an accolade Kevin De Bruyne never won once during his time at Manchester City.
The now-retired Matip also recorded an assist for Liverpool's second in their Champions League final triumph over Tottenham in 2019.
Jurgen Klopp praising Joel Matip11
Former Liverpool boss Klopp was the president of the Joel Matip fan club
Joel Matip stats at Liverpool
Years: 2016-2024
Appearances: 201
Goals: 11
Trophies: Champions League (2019), UEFA Super Cup (2019), Premier League (2019-20), League Cup (2022), FA Cup (2022)
7 . Jay-Jay Okocha - Bolton
So good they named him twice!
The Nigerian international appeared for Bolton 124 times, more than any side in his career, after arriving from Paris Saint-Germain in 2002.
He was ranked by Mauricio Pochettino as among his five football geniuses alongside Ronaldinho, and he lived up to that billing a year after his arrival at the expense of talkSPORT's own Ray Parlour with his rainbow flick against champions Arsenal.
The Okocha Turn was already enough to make the 53-year-old one of the most influential dribblers in Premier League history.
But the 73-cap international was beloved for more than just his flicks and tricks, having guided Bolton to safety in 2003, thanks in part to a wonder goal against West Ham.
During his four-year spell at Bolton under Sam Allardyce, Okocha also helped the club qualify for the UEFA Cup as well as a run to the 2004 League Cup final.
6. Zlatan Ibrahimovic - Manchester United
A double cruciate tear prematurely ruined what looked to be a match made in heaven that had one of the game's boldest characters starring in the largest football club stadium in the UK.
In typical Ibrahimovic fashion, the enigmatic Swede announced his own free transfer from PSG to Old Trafford on social media in 2016.
The 44-year-old scored to help Man United win the Community Shield on his debut and was christened with a chant that the man himself hailed as his favourite from his 24-year career.
Ibrahimovic was then instrumental as the Red Devils enjoyed their most successful season in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era in 2016/17.
He plundered 28 goals in all competitions that campaign, and lived up to his big-game tag with a double in the EFL Cup triumph over Southampton upon the club's return to Wembley.
Ibrahimovic played his part in firing Jose Mourinho's men to Europa League glory, but injury prevented him from an emotional outing in Stockholm for the final against his old club Ajax - and he left for LA Galaxy 10 months later.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic of Manchester United celebrates with the Europa League trophy after the UEFA Europa League Final match between Manchester United and Ajax11
Ibrahimovic brought goals and trophies to Old Trafford
5. Thiago Silva - Chelsea
The Blues have a case to build an entire XI of their best free transfers, with the likes of Gianluca Vialli and Gus Poyet missing from this list.
Yet one of the three Chelsea icons to have made the cut is Silva, who was named alongside John Terry in the club's Team of 120 last year.
The Brazilian arrived at Stamford Bridge in the twilight of his career at age 35 after losing 1-0 to Bayern Munich in the 2020 Champions League final in what proved to be his final game for PSG.
He instantly claimed that elusive European Cup during his first season at Chelsea after consistently putting in showings that belied his age.
Silva ultimately made more than 150 appearances in west London before returning to his homeland to sign for Fluminense.
In addition to the Champions League, the now-41-year-old also played a pivotal role in Chelsea lifting the Club World Cup and Super Cup, and his Blues connection is such that his sons still play for the club.
Thiago Silva after winning the Champions League with Chelsea.11
Ballack was great, but many Chelsea fans may argue that Silva, who enjoyed a hugely successful stint at the club, is the best free transfer ever
4. Michael Ballack - Chelsea
"We have a team of champions, and to improve a team of champions we need champions."
Those were the immortal words uttered by Mourinho when he beat out competition from Real Madrid to land Ballack, whilst Man United manager Alex Ferguson wanted him to replace Roy Keane.
A captain of Germany, he who was one of the most complete midfielders of his era, scored 14 goals in his final season at Bayern Munich before leaving at age 29 to complete a free transfer to Chelsea in 2006.
Wearing his trademark number 13 shirt, Ballack played 167 games for Chelsea across four seasons, while chipping in with 26 goals.
The most famous among those strikes was his winner against Blackburn in the 2007 FA Cup semi-final, or his two goals against Man United at Stamford Bridge a year later.
He did lose upon his Red Devils reunion in the Champions League final a month later in May 2008, but still ended his Chelsea career having lifted every major domestic trophy.
Chelsea's Michael Ballack, Ashley Cole and Frank Lampard celebrate with the trophy after winning the league with an 8-0 victory during the Barclays Premier League match between Chelsea and Wigan Athletic at Stamford Bridge on May 9, 201011
Chelsea's Michael Ballack, Ashley Cole and Frank Lampard celebrate with the trophy after winning the league with an 8-0 victory during the Barclays Premier League match between Chelsea and Wigan Athletic at Stamford Bridge on May 9, 2010
3. Ruud Gullit - Chelsea
Long before the Roman Abramovich era made signing superstars the custom at SW6, the Dutchman was the original overseas celebrity.
In the first four seasons of the Premier League era, Chelsea finished 11th, 14th, 11th and 11th and then Gullit, a Ballon d’Or winner, chose to move to the mid-table Blues from Sampdoria at age 32.
As the club themselves reference on their official website, 'never had a player of such world renown arrived at Stamford Bridge.'
Gullit instantly transformed Chelsea's style of play and finished runner-up for the 1995–96 FWA Footballer of the Year award to Man United legend Eric Cantona after his debut season.
A star in the all-conquering AC Milan side, Gullit was then appointed the club's player-manager a year later after replacing ex-England boss Glenn Hoddle.
In his managerial debut season, Gullit guided Chelsea to their first major trophy in 26 years as they won the FA Cup in 1997.
Ruud Gullit had a very special way of calming Chelsea's nerves prior to their 2-0 FA Cup final victory over Middlesbrough in 199711
Gullit gave his Blues players champagne before their 2-0 FA Cup final victory over Middlesbrough
2. James Milner - Liverpool
“Nothing in the last seven-and-a-half years would have happened without James Milner,” was Klopp's signing-off quote in 2023.
Milner called time on his 24-year Premier League career in June after breaking the record for the most appearances in England's top-flight.
Despite playing for six Premier League teams, 230 of his record 658 games in the division came during his eight-season spell at Anfield.
His arrival on Merseyside came off the back of Liverpool finishing sixth in 2014/15, in the same summer Raheem Sterling headed in the opposite direction to Manchester City for £50m.
However, Milner has now been named No.48 on Liverpool's 100 Greatest Ever, after winning seven major honours at the club.
He featured in all bar two of Liverpool's major finals during the Klopp era, deputised at left-back during the Champions League semi-final comeback against Barcelona, and won the club's sixth European title - in addition to helping end their 30-year wait for the title.
James Milner with the Champions League trophy11
Milner won the Champions League with Liverpool
1. Sol Campbell - Arsenal
Was it ever going to be anything else?
Even if Campbell had proven a complete flop at Arsenal, he would have still have made this list for the sheer audacity of the Gunners poaching Tottenham's captain for nothing.
Yet to add insult to injury, the England legend was part of the ‘Invincibles’, who won the Premier League title at White Hart Lane in 2004.
Sol Campbell with Arsenal11
Campbell joined Arsenal in 2001 and won some huge trophies
Spurs fans hold up Judas shirt directed at Sol Campbell11
Spurs fans never forgave him and he's been on the receiving end of abuse for two decades
Campbell had spent more than 12 years at Spurs after rising through the youth ranks and then captaining their first-team.
But after 315 appearances, he rejected the offer of a new contract that would have made him their highest-paid player.
The defender has since revealed he had five clubs queuing up for his signature, but he decided to make the hugely controversial move across north London on a free transfer.
To this day, he remains a figure of hate at Tottenham - with fans branding him ‘Judas’ and subjecting him to sickening death threats.