The Greatest Free Transfers in the Premier League

As the Premier League got underway last weekend, the new season saw a host of new faces, some of which have created club records with their transfer fees. The Premier League has always seen some of the best in the world, but along with that it has also seen some of the most expensive transfers take place.

Here, though, we will be taking a different route to go through some of the best free transfers over the years. We look at players who shifted clubs on a free and made a serious impact with their new clubs.

Also Read – A look back on football’s most expensive player transfers of all time

James Milner – Liverpool

When Milner joined Liverpool at 29, he was already a two-time Premier League champion, an FA Cup winner and League Cup winner. Even though he was entering his 30s, Liverpool knew what they were signing. Six seasons on, Milner has helped his team win the Premier League once, a Champions League trophy and finish runners-up in both. Milner has used all his experience over the years to play in almost eight different positions in his time at Merseyside. His versatility has seen him score 26 goals and rake up 40 assists in his 251 appearances for Liverpool.

Milner showcased his ability to adapt and be the ultimate team player when he featured as a left-back for the entire 2016/17 season. Liverpool’s 2018 Champions League final appearance also was largely due to Milner’s creativity, where he went on to amass a record 9 assists in a single Champions League season, which till date is a world record. Milner also holds the record for being the second youngest player in the Premier League to make 500 appearances and these are just a few of the things that Milner brought with him, when he came to Liverpool as a free agent.

At 35, he’s still doing the business for the Reds, and along with his skill, his passion is something that keeps him striving for more and helps him push the team too.

Zlatan Ibrahimovi? – Manchester United

When Zlatan arrived at Manchester United, the Swede was 34 years old and on £200,000 per week, which seemed ridiculous for a player his age. When he left United, all of that was justified. With over 350 career goals and little less than 30 trophies, Ibrahimovi? arrived at United with more than enough experience, but the question on everyone’s lips was – could he make it count?

During his time at United, Ibrahimovi? scored 17 Premier League goals in 28 appearances in his debut season and helped the Red Devils win the Europa League, which was their first European title since 2008. The Swede also ended the season as United’s overall top scorer with 28 goals. He also scored twice in United’s League Cup final victory.  A devastating injury ended his 2017-18 season and also, effectively, his time at United.

But if you thought leaving United due to an injury was the end of the road for the then 37-year-old, you were, as you’d now know, mistaken. He went to LA Galaxy from United and scored an incredible 52 goals for them. That’s just what Zlatan does.

Also Read – A look back on football’s most expensive defenders of all time

Marc Albrighton – Leicester City

Marc Albrighton, who doesn’t even have one single national cap to his name, might just be one of the Premier League’s greatest transfers of the last decade.

Having been picked up by the Foxes in 2014 from Aston Villa as a free agent, Albrighton has gone on to make more than 200 appearances for Leicester till date. Not the quickest, not the most skilful, but functional, with good technical skills; Albrighton has turned out to be the perfect fit for the Foxes. The winger has had more open-play crosses in the Premier League since joining, a list which sees him head Aaron Cresswell and Kevin De Bruyne.

Albrighton’s pairing with N’Golo Kanté, Riyadh Mahrez and Danny Drinkwater was crucial in Leicester lifting the Premier League trophy in 2016. Having played a crucial role and playing in every single match of the Foxes’ 2015-16 title-winning campaign, Albrighton has been the backbone of the Leicester squad both on and off the field.

Michael Ballack – Chelsea

When Michael Ballack joined Chelsea in 2006, there was considerable interest for the German from Manchester United and Real Madrid. As one of the most versatile midfielders of the game, Ballack was known for his physical strength, aggressive nature and excellent passing range along with being able to move the ball efficiently. Hence, when the three-time German footballer of the year was on the market, the best were interested. But the then Bayern Munich midfielder decided to join Chelsea and by the time he left, he left as one of the greats of Stamford Bridge. Ballack left the Blues with over 150 appearances and five trophies.

The German was instrumental in Chelsea’s 2009/10 Premier League. His final match for the Blues was a fitting finale to a great as Chelsea won the 2010 FA Cup. Ballack, though, left on mixed terms; on one hand he was part of an FA Cup-winning squad, but on the other he had just picked up a serious injury that even ruled him out of that year’s World Cup.

Ballack left Chelsea at the end of the season after being offered a one-year contract that the German wasn’t too happy with. He finished his career at Bayer Leverkusen, but to date, he remains one of the greatest buys for the Blues, given the impact he had in the four years at Chelsea.

Sol Campbell – Arsenal

Sol Campbell was already a North London legend, for Tottenham Hotspur, after captaining Spurs and leading them to the 1999 Football League Cup victory. Hence, in 2001, when the Brit decided to shift from Tottenham to Arsenal, there was outcry in North London. Till date, Campbell’s move is widely criticised by the Tottenham fans. When Campbell decided not to sign a new contract with Spurs, there was interest from Barcelona, Real Madrid, Liverpool and Chelsea, but Campbell chose his North London rivals.

Although the move was a controversial one, Campbell’s time with the Gunners was a great success. He was a crucial apart of the ‘Invincibles’ team, forging a instrumental partnership with  Kolo Touré at the back that saw Arsenal win the Premier League in 2003-04 without losing a single match. Having won two Premier League titles, three FA Cups and having also scored in the 2006 Champions League final against Barcelona, Campbell has a special place among the Arsenal faithful.

Campbell left Arsenal in 2006, having amassed over 130 appearances and five trophies. He later on explained his move to Arsenal, saying, “It was a move that I needed to make. Going to Arsenal was a big progression for me. Everything about Arsenal was better than Spurs at the time from the players, management to the mentality of the club and the facilities. I wanted to improve myself as both a person and a footballer. It was a highly controversial move and Spurs fans have not forgotten it, but it was the best thing that I could have done for myself.”

Also Read – A look back on football’s most expensive goalkeepers of all time

Demba Ba – Newcastle United

When the Senegalese striker arrived at Newcastle as a free agent after West Ham were relegated, there was a lot of talk about Ba given his scoring form at West Ham. A release clause in his contract saw the striker, who scored seven goals in 12 games, get signed up by the Magpies on a three-year deal.

During his time at Newcastle, Ba forged a formidable partnership with Papiss Cissé that saw them finish the 2011-12 Premier League season a remarkable fifth and qualify for the Europa League playoff rounds. Ba himself finished as Newcastle’s top scorer with 16 Premier League goals, three more than his strike partner Cissé.

When Ba left Newcastle midway through the 2012-13 season, moving on to Chelsea, he left the Magpies having scored 29 times. But more than finding the net almost 30 times, what remains Ba’s greatest achievement at Newcastle is the adoration and respect he still has today among the fans, who still appreciate the Senegalese’s contributions during his short stint with them.

Esteban Cambiasso – Leicester City

By the time the Argentine came to Leicester City in 2014, he already had more than a decade’s worth of experience, 400 games under his belt, and had won five Serie A titles with Inter Milan, a La Liga title with Real Madrid, and had scored ‘that’ goal in the 2006 World Cup against Serbia & Montenegro.

After joining Leicester on a one-year deal, Cambiasso played an instrumental part that season to help Leicester avoid relegation from the Premier League. Cambiasso scored five times that season, but none were more crucial than his strike against West Ham that saved the Foxes from certain relegation. Bolstered by the Argentine’s form, Leicester went on to win seven of their last nine games, losing just once, which secured another season in the Premier League for the Foxes. And it was Cambiasso’s winning mentality and never give up attitude that helped Leicester go on to complete a remarkable comeback story by winning the Premier League the following year.

Although Cambiasso left at the end of the 2014-15 season, his legacy lived on with the team. On his departure, Cambiasso said, “I think the most important trophy is that Leicester City play next season in the Premier League. I’m more of a team player than a star and I like the group trophies more than the individual trophies.”

Coming to Leicester as a free transfer, the Argentine changed the way football was played at Leicester, and from fighting for survival, the Foxes today fight at the top half of the league.