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Five greatest signings, including Liverpool player who won nothing

The Premier League has been the hub for some of the best transfers of all time over the years - but who has been the greatest?

In the latest edition of Max Scott's Mount Rushmore of Less series, he has attempted to whittle it down to just a few signings.

6Max Scott has selected his five greatest ever Premier League signings because having only four on his Mount Rushmore just isn't enoughCredit: Getty

And of course, continuing with the theme, Scott believes having just four on his Mount Rushmore isn't enough, so he has picked five of the greatest ever buys in the Premier League.

From impressive bargains to instant success and the beginning of a legacy, he has selected some huge names - and some surprises.

So, here are the top five Premier League signings in history...

"First up I think is a really underappreciated signing in the history of the Premier League," Scott began.

"That is, Vincent Kompany."

Kompany joined Manchester City in 2008 and went on to spend 11 years at the club, winning a whopping 12 trophies.

For eight of his years in Manchester he wore the captains armband, and he certainly set the standards for the club's glory.

"Signed from Hamburg for around £6-7million and went on to become, for me, the epitomy of the leadership of Pep Guardiola's incredible dominance in the Premier League.

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"He scored two title-winning goals - the first the header in the Manchester derby and then that legendary strike against Leicester, elliciting the strangest noise from the gullet of Gary Neville.

"So, the fact that he has a statue of himself and as a player he has contributed to title-winning goals, and the fact that he was in City's starting 11 when they concededed 0.9 goals a game, for me, he's a magnificent leader and has to be in the top signings."

6Kompany was Man City captain for eight years, winning four Premier League titles with the club across his 11-year spellCredit: Getty

Scott then continued: "Next is a player Arsenal signed for just £11m...and Arsene Wenger turned Thierry Henry into what I think is the greatest ever player to play in Premier League football.

"I don't even know where to begin in terms of his accolades. He was player of the year in Arsenal's Player of the Year during their famous Invincible title winning season.

"The season before, he became the first and only ever play to score 20 goals and get 20 assists, nobody has done it since.

"For me, this is evidence enough that Henry has to be in the Mount Rushmore or Less of great Premier League signings.

"Just the way he played, he might not have scored as many as Alan Shearer, he might not have scored them as quickly as Sergio Aguero, but he was a more complete player - graceful, powerful, clinical, anything you would want not just in a football player, but in an entertainment industry.

"Henry probably is THE greatest Premier League signing in history."

6Scott has labelled Henry as the greatest ever signing in the Premier League after his incredible stats and success after joining ArsenalCredit: Getty

6Signed for just £11m, Henry became the greatest ever Premier League player and went on to win more with BarcelonaCredit: Getty

Ex-West Ham manager Harry Redknapp once sat next to a 16-year-old Frank Lampard in 1996 and said 'I'm telling you now, he will go right to the very top', in an iconic press conference moment.

And go to the top he did, with Scott saying: "You cannot deny that Harry Redknapp was absolutely bang on.

"Frank Lampard, signing from West Ham for £11m to Chelsea, did indeed go right to the very top.

"He won absolutely everything there is to win in 13 years at Chelsea, three Premier League titles, four FA Cups, the Champions League in 2021, and he only went and scored, in the Premier League alone, 177 goals and got 119 assists, as a midfielder.

"Lampard is the Mount Rushmore of great Premier League signings because he is the greatest ever goalscorer the Premier League has ever seen, you cannot deny that.

"He was the onle outfielder to spend more time on the pitch that Gareth Barry, that's saying a lot. He didn't just do it in bursts, there was longevity to his career."

6Lampard was tipped to go to the 'very top' by Redknapp - and he did, becoming one of the greatest midfielders of all time at ChelseaCredit: Getty

"If you're younger the age of 30, then you may not appreciate this one as much - Eric Cantona is in my Mount Rushmore of Less of great Premier League signings," Scott said, picking his next transfer.

"Now, the stats themselves don't really scream one of the greatest ever signings, 64 goals for Man United in over 100 games.

"But the thing about Cantona, notwishstanding the fact he needs a bit of stick for the flying kick of a fan in the stands, everywhere he went, he won.

"Sir Alex Ferguson took him off Leeds for about a £1m, not that much money, one of the greatest bits of business from Ferguson.

"Cantona then went on to win the title after he joined Man United and in the four remaining seasons, won three titles and the one he didn't, he had the ban for booting the fan in the face."

The legendary Frenchman retired from football at 30, when he was still at the top, and that's also why Scott wants him in.

6Coutinho was a star for Liverpool after signing for just £8.5m, but his eventual big-money exit led the club to title success under KloppCredit: Getty

Now, in Scott's Mount Rushmore of Less, he sometimes finds picking just four players tough, so he adds a fifth to the list.

And in this list of top signings, Philippe Coutinho takes a place despite his honours list at Anfield reading: League Cup runner-up and Europa League runner-up.

"Bare with me for a moment. Coutinho signed for £8.5m in a really strange time, it was the back end of the Steven Gerrard, Luis Suarez era where they nearly won the league and it was the beginning of the Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane playing in their prime under Jurgen Klopp.

"Coutinho was in the middle of that and he was an incredible football player. Now, he didn't win anything, but I think he kept that Liverpool dream alive. The owners at the time hung their hats on Coutinho being the start of something new.

"And he was, but in a really unexpected way, because when PSG come in and sign Neymar, Barcelona now need someone to replace him and sign Coutinho for £146m. That fills the back pockets of Liverpool, who at the time were bereft of a league title.

"They reinvest that money wisely, at the hands of Klopp, and they go on to become one of the most exciting Premier League sides that we've seen. They win the Champions League, the title...but for me, Coutinho is the catalyst for all of that to happen."

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