In a day and age where transfer fee’s are continuing to soar upwards each year signing a player for a relatively small sum of money and watching him turn in performances that outstrip those of a £30 million pounder is a glorious sight. In the midst of these over expensive footballers there have been a few cheap gems to wade through the crowd and make a name for themselves in the Premier League. Looking back over 20 years of England’s top flight, players bought for something like £3 million,which was still considered a huge fee back in the early nineties, who went on to become legends and the focal point of success during their time at the club aren’t as common anymore.
There is nothing more satisfying then seeing your club sign a relative unknown for a nominal fee and watch him tear the Premier League up like he’s prowled the football fields of England for years. Over the years there have been some unbelievable footballers who have commanded a few that pales in comparison to what some modern day players earn in a month. Unearthing an unpolished jewel for peanuts and polishing it into an 24 carat diamond isn’t as common as it used to be and you could say that some of the romance that used to exist in football is lost because of that.
But lets not get lost in the doom and gloom of all that and celebrate the top ten cheap Premier League revelations that have cropped up over the years.
Click on Ole Gunnar Solksjaer to reveal the top 10
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William Storey has now dropped some Sunderland takeover news after a recent reveal involving Kyril Louis-Dreyfus.
The Lowdown: Shareholder split at Sunderland
As cited by The Chronicle, the Wearside club confirmed the shareholder split of chairman Louis-Dreyfus owning just 41%, despite his buyout last year.
Stewart Donald, Charlie Methven and Juan Sartori still own a combined 59%, but are not involved in the day-to-day running at the Stadium of Light, and the former two would be willing to sell the remainder of their shares at the previously agreed price.
The Latest: Sunderland takeover update from Storey
In light of the reveal, Storey took to Twitter just over a week ago to claim that he would be submitting a new bid to take over at Sunderland, after previously trying to get a deal done back in 2020.
The Rich Energy founder has now provided an update on the situation, claiming that he has ‘made huge strides’ on a potential deal at the Stadium of Light as he tweeted: “Made huge strides on Sunderland deal. Delighted to have some major names backing my bid. Working very hard to make it happen.”
The Verdict: All talk again?
After Storey publicly voicied his confidence of getting a deal done in 2020, one never materialised, so Black Cats fans may well be wondering if it is merely talk again.
Arguably, Sunderland’s biggest problems right now are on the pitch, with no wins in six games and just two points from a possible nine under new manager Alex Neil.
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Nonetheless, the players should not let the takeover talk distract them from the task in hand, which is to get themselves promoted from League One after four years outside the top two tiers of English football.
In other news, find out who James Hunter hailed as ‘brilliant’ against Burton Albion
Sky Sports journalist Michael Bridge believes Leeds have struggled without Kalvin Phillips in recent months, GiveMeSport report.
The Lowdown: March return
The Whites won just two of their six Premier League fixtures in 2022, losing three of their last four. [Sky Sports]
Marcelo Bielsa has had to deal with numerous injury issues throughout the campaign, with holding midfielder Phillips missing since December.
He has had surgery to repair a hamstring problem and is on course for a return next month. The Whites have to navigate fixtures against Liverpool and Tottenham before the month is out, though, and will be without Robin Koch at Anfield following his head injury on the weekend.
The Latest: Bridge’s comments
Bridge was talking to GiveMeSport in a story shared on Wednesday morning, hours before the Whites’ clash with Liverpool.
With Leeds now just five points above the relegation zone, Bridge had this to say on the holding midfielder’s absence from the side in recent months.
“They’ve really missed Kalvin Phillips in that middle. Wow.”
The Verdict: Phillips key
Leeds have struggled without Phillips in the defensive midfield role in their last nine league games, losing six of those, with Bielsa not having a direct replacement in the squad for the England international.
Koch, Pascal Struijk and Mateusz Klich have all turned out at the base of the midfield in recent weeks with Leeds struggling to pick up points, so hopefully, getting Phillips back will result in a change of fortune.
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Next month’s home fixtures against Aston Villa and Norwich City could prove key in regards to the club’s bid to avoid relegation, and all being well, Bielsa will be able to call upon Phillips for both games.
In other news: ‘Exciting’ Leeds attacker now set for March return after months out as reporter relays news.
Wolves had a rather busy summer transfer window behind the scenes after Bruno Lage was appointed as Nuno Espirito Santo’s replacement as the new manager at Molineux.
In addition to that, a significant number of players left the Midlands club on permanent and loan deals, while a number of new faces also came in on loan and permanent deals.
One big change over the summer saw goalkeeper Rui Patricio call time on his period with the Old Gold after racking up a total of 127 appearances in a Wolves shirt across all competitions before joining Italian club AS Roma.
As a replacement for the 34-year-old, Lage’s side secured the signature of another Portuguese shot-stopper in the shape of Jose Sa who joined from Greek club Olympiacos in a deal worth a reported fee of around £6.25m.
Despite not even completing his debut season in England, the 29-year-old has already looked to have been a clever piece of business from Fosun.
Having played in all 26 of Wolves’ league games so far this term, the £12.5m-rated goalkeeper has managed to keep nine clean sheets and conceded only 21 goals, making him a very useful asset for Lage in his first campaign in charge.
The summer recruit has also made a total of 88 saves so far throughout 2021/22, leaving only Leeds United’s Illan Meslier (95) and Manchester United’s David De Gea (94) having made more, showing how vital the Wolves shot-stopper has been to his side’s impressive defensive record.
As well as this, Sa, who has been praised by former Old Gold goalkeeper Matt Murray for being “dominant” in games, has the highest save percentage of any Premier League goalkeeper with 83.7%, arguably making him the best performing ‘keeper in the division.
This shows why Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville labelled him as the best signing of the previous summer transfer window earlier and said that he has had a “massive impact” on the team since his arrival.
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With all of this in mind, it’s safe to say that Fosun struck gold with their move to bring the 29-year-old to Molineux as Patricio’s replacement, especially for the fairly low price that they paid for him.
In other news: Shi masterclass: “Pathetic” £24k-p/w dud sees he value drop 55% after leaving Wolves – opinion
Newcastle United journalist Luke Edwards has moved to quash any suggestion that Allan Saint-Maximin has become unsettled at St James’ Park.
The lowdown
The 25-year-old hasn’t started a game for the Magpies for around a month now. He missed the trips to West Ham United and Brentford with a minor injury before returning as a substitute for the win over Brighton and Hove Albion in early March.
Having been absent once again for the midweek visit to Southampton, he came off the bench for the final 20 minutes of the defeat against Chelsea on Sunday.
The latest
Edwards took to Twitter on Sunday morning to explain the reasons behind Saint-Maximin’s recent absences, strongly refuting any apparent claims that the Frenchman is unsettled on Tyneside.
The Telegraph journalist stated: “Allan Saint Maximin has been feeling unwell. So before the rumours of disenchantment and unrest start being spread by fake in-the-know types, there is nothing more to his absence from midweek game than that. His relationship with club, teammates and manager is very good.”
The verdict
What reason would £38,500-per-week forward have to be unhappy at Newcastle?
After facing the threat of relegation earlier in the season (even enduring a spell at the very bottom of the table), they are now a club on the up. In fact, since Matchweek 20, they are actually third in the Premier League form table, trailing only the title-chasing duo of Liverpool and Manchester City.
Also, given that Saint-Maximin leads the squad for goal contributions with eight, he could well be a player around whom the club’s mega-rich owners are looking to build their hugely ambitious project.
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Edwards’ strongly-worded tweet should allay any fears there may have been among the Toon Army that the French maestro would be ticked off with life on Tyneside.
In other news, read this insider’s claim on Harry Kane’s links with Newcastle
Pundit Kevin Campbell has been reacting to Tottenham’s reported offer for Barcelona forward Memphis Depay, Football Insider report.
The Lowdown: Depay offer
Spurs are already making preparations for Antonio Conte’s first full season in charge, with attacking reinforcements seemingly high on the Italian’s radar.
Journalist Gerard Romero, via Twitch, revealed earlier this week that Tottenham have made a formal offer for Depay ahead of the summer transfer window.
Foot Mercato have also backed up those claims, suggesting a pre-summer offer has been submitted, with Barcelona now tempted to accept due to the financial situation at the Nou Camp.
Campbell, who contributes for Sky Sports, was buzzing at the possibility of Depay moving to north London, describing the Dutch striker as ‘brilliant’ and labelled a possible deal as ‘very good’.
Talking to FI, Campbell said:
“That’d be a very good signing.
“He’s a brilliant player. Obviously, it didn’t quite work out for him before at Man United.
“He’s had a decent spell at Barca but maybe is falling down that pecking order with Aubameyang coming in and with the way Xavi wants to play. He doesn’t really fit.
“Memphis Depay won’t want to come to be an understudy to Kane or Son. He will be coming to play.
“So Conte needs to find a way to fit those three in, and then decide what that means for the likes of Kulusevski and Moura.”
The Verdict: Shrewd move?
Depay has found it hard to get back into Xavi Hernandez’s side since his return from injury, with former Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang appearing to be the main man for the Catalan giants in attack.
However, Depay has been in fine form this season prior to his hamstring and achilles issues, contributing to 12 La Liga goals in 19 games, playing as a centre-forward and on the left, so it could turn out to be a shrewd move by Spurs officials.
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He is still just 28 years of age, and due to Barca’s financial situation, you’d expect a cut-price move could be on the cards, so this seems like one to keep a close eye on over the coming months.
In other news: Tottenham ‘monster’ now eyeing exit as club chiefs already make contact to sign him…find out more here.
According to the Daily Mail, West Ham United are interested in signing Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
The Lowdown: Quiet season for DCL
The 25-year-old has had a season to forget so far. He has only made 10 Premier League appearances and has scored just three league goals to date, adding to Everton’s attacking woes.
At the end of August, the England international suffered a fractured toe. Unbelievably, this injury kept him out of action for 125 days, missing a total of 16 games.
In addition to that setback, Calvert-Lewin has recently suffered from illness. As a result, he has struggled to maintain fitness for a decent string of games this season.
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The Latest: West Ham interested in Calvert-Lewin
As per the Daily Mail, Everton are now prepared to sell Calvert-Lewin in the summer transfer window. Furthermore, it is reported that the Toffees could be willing to accept a lower fee than their previous £60m valuation.
As a result, West Ham and Arsenal have both declared their interest in the England international.
The Verdict: Would be a fantastic signing
With Michail Antonio being West Ham’s only out-and-out senior striker, David Moyes could seriously do with bolstering his options up front. Whilst the 32-year-old had a flying start to the Premier League season, he has now failed to score in his last 10 top-flight games.
As a result, GSB could do with securing a new starting striker; and with the news of Calvert-Lewin’s availability, this could be the perfect transfer for both parties.
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In 157 appearances for the Toffees, the 25-year-old has netted 43 goals. Whilst Antonio has achieved comparable numbers, Calvert-Lewin would be playing in a more potent team if he were to join the Irons, so a huge influx in goals could be expected, with Alan Shearer previously asserting that the 25-year-old is a player who will “keep scoring goals”.
His former Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti also labelled him a “top striker”, so this could be the transfer that West Ham need to prioritise in the summer.
In other news: West Ham have an edge in another transfer pursuit
The 19-year-old featured heavily under Ange Postecoglou in pre-season but suffered a complex ankle fracture, making a long-awaited return to the matchday squad last month.
He featured from the bench twice prior to the international break, and it seems as if there has been a mentality switch for the teenager under the Hoops boss.
The Latest: Devlin’s update
Devlin shared an in-depth story on The Athletic regarding Dembele, which is available to view in full here.
He revealed from sources close to Celtic that there have previously been issues with Dembele over application in training and in games for the B team. Those same sources have now mentioned there has been an improvement in that work ethic under Postecoglou, despite his lengthy spell on the sidelines.
The Verdict: Good to hear
Devlin’s update on Dembele is certainly good to hear, and who knows, Postecoglou may now be open to keeping the wide man at the club going forward.
The Hoops only have a matter of months to finalise a new deal, though, with his current contract set to expire at the end of May.
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Young winger Ben Doak looks set to move to Liverpool, so that could also play a part in Celtic’s decision on Dembele before the end of the season, along with his positive attitude.
In other news: Season over: Celtic’s injury problems just won’t end as news emerges on ‘terrific’ loanee.
Newcastle United have been handed a huge injury boost over midfielder Jonjo Shelvey
What’s the latest?
Magpies boss Eddie Howe has revealed that the 30-year-old is available after recovering from an illness and will be able to face Tottenham on Sunday.
Shelvey has not played for the Toon since the 2-1 win over Southampton at St Mary’s in the Premier League on 10 March, missing the subsequent defeats to Chelsea and Everton.
The Athletic’s Chris Waugh tweeted this update: ‘Howe: “Midfield has been a key area for us. We’ve had a really good mixture of technical & physical quality. If we decide to play with three, I need to pick which three & it’s a difficult choice but nice one to have.” Jonjo Shelvey is also fit to play after illness.’
Delighted
This update will surely leave Howe delighted, as having Shelvey back fit and available will be a big boost to his team heading into the clash with Spurs.
The ex-Liverpool metronome is unbeaten in his last nine Premier League appearances, having been absent for the last two losses, and will be hoping to make it into double digits this weekend. He has been a key player for the Magpies this season and having him back in the middle of the park will improve their chances of picking up a result, as he has been one of the club’s top performers.
Allan Saint-Maximin (6.96) is the only Newcastle player, excluding January signings, who has averaged a higher SofaScore rating than Shelvey (6.91) this term. This shows that the Englishman has been excellent for the majority of the campaign as he has stepped up under Howe and made himself a go-to option in the middle of the park.
He has chipped in with two goals and one assist from midfield, whilst averaging 0.7 key passes and 1.8 tackles and interceptions per game. Shelvey is making contributions at both ends of the pitch in a box-to-box role, but it is his passing which catches the eye, playing 4.9 long balls per game with an impressive accuracy of 61%.
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His ability to spray passes left and right to spread the play opens up angles of attack for Newcastle and gets them up the pitch quickly. He has the quality to drop a ball in behind for the likes of Allan Saint-Maximin and Ryan Fraser to run onto, which is why his availability will be crucial against Tottenham.
If Spurs dominate the game on Sunday, then Shelvey’s long passing will be key to hitting them on the counterattack, and that is why Howe will be elated by the midfielder’s return this week.
AND in other news, Fabrizio Romano drops exciting Newcastle United transfer update, fans will be buzzing…
Last week, it was made known that Thomas Frank had sat down with ENIC Group and left that meeting with the backing of the Tottenham Hotspur board.
But, since then, the Londoners have fallen to another home defeat, this time against struggling Liverpool, and the pressure is unquestionably cranking up. Still, pundits like Jamie Redknapp have reiterated the stance that the Danish coach needs time to right the many wrongs down N17.
Redknapp is right, and Tottenham’s star players need to step up. However, with the defenders leaving much to be desired, who is it within the Lilywhites squad who has what it takes to step up and guide the squad back to the forefront of Premier League football?
Who can lead Frank's Spurs side to success
In recent years, Tottenham have lost Harry Kane and Heung-min Son to overseas moves. It’s difficult to argue that such talismanic figures have been effectively replaced.
Now, new stars need to step up. Whether Cristian Romero is the one to lead the charge is open to debate, with the Argentine skipper sent off after kicking out at Ibrahima Konate at the weekend.
Spurs need players to step up, leading the club to success after a first half of the 2025/26 campaign that has underlined the fact that there are too many pieces of driftwood about Frank’s outfit.
Too often, Spurs have launched big-money bids for the likes of Richarlison and Dominic Solanke. Both arrived to the tune of £60m or so, and it’s hard to argue that either striker has been a bona fide success.
The worst of the lot would have to be Tanguy Ndombele, who was the club-record arrival when he joined from Lyon for £63m in 2019.
Journalist Paul Brown called the lazy France midfielder “one of the worst signings Spurs have ever made”. It would be hard to replicate such a dismal deal, but ENIC Group may be worried they have done exactly that this summer.
ENIC must worry they've signed Ndombele 2.0
The Lewis Family didn’t enjoy a flawless summer transfer window by any stretch, but there’s no question that the likes of Mohammed Kudus and Xavi Simons arrived as talented additions capable of driving Tottenham back into the domestic ascendancy.
Simons, 22, joined Tottenham from RB Leipzig for an initial £51m fee this summer, and his arrival caused a fanfare, given Chelsea had shown a vested interest for many months before.
However, it’s been tough for the Dutchman to adapt to the pace and physicality of the Premier League, with content creator Ronaldo Brown even asserting that he has been “swallowed” in the English top flight this season.
Having started to kick on, Simons lunged too far against Liverpool, receiving red in the first half after a studs-up challenge against his Netherlands captain Virgil van Dijk.
Branded for a moment of “reckless stupidity” by Sky Sports co-commentator Gary Neville, Simons will know miss a crucial run of fixtures after a recent uptick in form, scoring his first goals for the club in December and maintaining promising creative levels.
There’s nothing wrong with Simons’ application, but his over-zealousness and high technical bar suggest he may well have a bit of Ndombele-itis about him, and this is something that Frank will need to swiftly fix if his project is to be a success, having worked with the board to secure this coveted playmaker for a hefty fee.
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After all, Simons ranks among the top 10% of positional peers in the Premier League this season for passes attempted, the top 6% for progressive passes and the top 14% for tackles per 90, as per FBref, so he’s got the fullness of skillset to succeed.
However, it could be said that the same was true for Ndombele. He’s one of the most technically gifted players we’ve seen in Spurs colours this decade, but the application of his skillset was too inconsistent. He became an easy scapegoat and his time in the capital ended in tears and with a hefty dent in the club’s wallet.
Tanguy Ndombele
Spurs cannot afford to fall by the wayside here. Neither can Frank. Neither can Simons.
Forget Romero: Frank must make Spurs' "world-class" star his new captain
Thomas Frank now has a huge call to make on Cristian Romero’s future at Tottenham Hotspur.