00:00 Whether it be an overseas player or simply a player moving from one Premier League club to another,
00:07 the English top flight has had their fair share of footballing icons.
00:11 So looking back to when they first put pen to paper, I spoke to football journalists to get their thoughts on the transfer
00:18 that made the most sense over time and went on to make Premier League history.
00:23 You're always looking for a bit of a bargain signing, someone signed for a pretty cheap fee who went on to be a fantastic player
00:30 and then obviously that in itself, they need to go on to be a superb player and a real talent.
00:35 So one that jumps out for me is Cristiano Ronaldo when Manchester United signed him in 2003.
00:40 I think he cost just £12m, sold on six years later for a world record price,
00:45 went on to inherit the throne of David Beckham after he departed.
00:49 I think Eric Cantona as well is maybe a close second and the impact that he had on United during his time as a player
00:56 obviously galvanised that squad, was the real experience head around the famous class of '92
01:02 and helped push the club on to repeated titles and established the foundation from which Alex Ferguson built going forward.
01:10 So I think that's one.
01:11 So many. Cristiano Ronaldo would be the name that comes to a lot of people's minds.
01:15 I'm sure it's probably been mentioned by a lot of my colleagues. But for me, Thierry Henry at Arsenal from Juventus,
01:21 £14.5m in 1999, one of the greatest ever players in the Premier League and for that kind of fee.
01:28 I know at the time that is a lot of money, but certainly not a ridiculous amount considering how much he did for the club under Arsene Wenger.
01:35 Of course, two Premier League titles as part of that invincible squad and was the best player in that season,
01:41 both creatively and scoring goals as well.
01:43 But when I go back a bit longer, I almost had to look twice. Patrick Vieira, when you go back and look how much he cost,
01:49 £3.5m he was from AC Milan. Now, obviously, I know this was a long time ago. It was 1996.
01:54 We all know about inflation. So £3.5m then, God knows what that is now.
01:58 But I mean, as a figure, £3.5m for what he did. I mean, you don't need me to go on here and say what he's done since.
02:04 You know, Arsenal never replaced him. Basically, he's been that good.
02:06 He's been one. He was, you know, the strikers are the ones that come across as I remember usually as the Premier League's best players
02:12 because they score all the goals. But him as a centre midfielder, as a CDM, like basically,
02:16 if you go for any side, like, you know, that's someone you'd want in your team.
02:20 And I mean, what a punt that was. And yeah, I think there's no obvious contenders,
02:24 but for the price they paid for him and what he went on to do, let's go for him.
02:29 There's been a collection of names that have made transfers to the Premier League and possibly you could say even overachieved.
02:36 Two of the three mentioned went on to be invincibles with Arsenal in 2003, a Premier League record that still remains 20 years later.
02:45 And the other, well, a kid from Portugal that Sir Alex put his money on, went on to be the greatest Champions League player in history,
02:53 winning multiple Ballon d'Ors and is seen as the most well-known athlete of all time.
02:58 So when these transfers do go to plan, there's not much you can argue with.
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