Mr Hoxey: The Best Premier League Captures Ever

Over the last week or so, since the capture of Michael Owen on a free by Manchester United, I have decided to consider and list my all time favourite bargain buys and free transfers in the Premier League.

First up on my list is Sami Hyypia. The big Finn cost Liverpool a cool £2.5million, and after 10 years service as a pretty solid centre back, you simply can't complain. Unbelievably, Newcastle United could have signed him 2 years earlier. Perhaps they wouldn't have been in the pickle they are now if they had seen the ability. He has now left Liverpool after 10 years of pretty solid service. For the real stat freaks, spreading his transfer fee over his appearances equates to a pitiful cost of 7k per game. What a bargain.

Moving away from Liverpool (rather neatly I must add...) is Brad Friedel to Blackburn Rovers on a free transfer, and it must be said he is pretty handy (okay I'll stop with the puns). After being a fantastic servant to Blackburn with 287 appearances, they sold him on to Aston Villa for somewhere around the 2.5million mark. A nice bit of business.

Dimitar Berbatov was another great bit of footballing business. 10.9million to bring him to Spurs for 2 years, and a sell on value of 30million. the Tottenham accountants must have been loving that little nugget. Just to sweeten it for Spurs, he hasn't really delivered the same goods at Manchester United. Perhaps this season, with Wayne Rooney and Michael Owen doing a bit more of the hard work, Berbatov may just start swanning around the right parts of the pitch for goal scoring.

Whilst researching other players to add to my already impressive list, I learnt that Nicolas Anelka cost Arsenal a meagre 500k before he went to Real Madrid on a sulk for 23million. Enough said.

And to finish, here is my list of free transfers or cheap buys which have been so brilliant that they don't really need any explanation.

Gary MacAllister to Liverpool
Kevin Davies to Bolton
Eric Cantona to Manchester United (1.2m)
Jurgen Klinnsmann to Spurs (1m)
Ashley Cole - What a Drama!

That is as much rattling onto my Blackberry as I can do on the topic. Let me know your views on great Premier League signings that could be described as a bargain.

(And yes, I realise that I have left out Ronaldo).