Player Focus: 5 Top Value Buys of the Transfer Window so far

It is said that there’s no such thing as transfer value during a World Cup year, but that’s not true – clubs just have to look for it a little harder. Here are five of WhoScored’s best value deals of the summer so far. No loans or free transfers are included, for clarity.

Toni Kroos (Bayern Munich to Real Madrid, estimated €25m)

Ok, so the fee isn’t buttons, but one has to apply perspective. Kroos only had a year left on his contract at the Allianz Arena and refused all Bayern’s wage offers, so they were forced to sell – otherwise, it could have been a whole lot more. His intrinsic quality with the ball was evident during Germany’s World Cup win. Kroos scored 2, assisted another 3 and managed 2 key passes per game in 7 matches, outstripping his 2013/14 numbers for Bayern (1.3 key passes per game in the Bundesliga, rising to 1.7 in the Champions League).

His overall pass success for club and country was an excellent 92.3% over the campaign, but Real Madrid are getting a highly versatile player who has several strings to his bow. Interestingly, the 24-year-old was Bayern’s best defensive performer over the Champions League campaign, making 2.3 tackles per match and 0.7 interceptions. Carlo Ancelotti has a complete performer at his disposal.

Rémy Cabella (Montpellier to Newcastle, potential €10m including add-ons)

Cabella, on the other hand, is a bargain in the truest sense of the word. Had Newcastle acceded to Montpellier’s demands when they were looking to replace Yohan Cabaye back in January, they would have paid at least 50% more. As it stands today, the midfielder is great value, and has even more experience as a member of France’s World Cup squad in Brazil, albeit a non-playing one.

His statistics speak for themselves, with 14 goals and 5 assists from 36 starts for a struggling side in Ligue 1 last season. Cabella is versatile, able to play a number of positions across midfield or a three-man forward line. He poses danger for opponents from all over the field, averaging 2.2 key passes for Montpellier last season, mostly from central areas, but also 1.4 crosses per game. His ability to hold on to the ball, one of his key strengths, will prove vital to Newcastle and proves he can tolerate close physical attention.

Bruno Martins Indi (Feyenoord to Porto, €7.7m)

Sourced as a direct replacement for the departing Eliaquim Mangala, this is a classic bit of Porto trading, with the France defender expected to fetch €40m when his departure is finalised. Despite ostensibly sharing a number of attributes with Mangala – pace, athleticism, the ability to play left-centre or left-back in defence – Martins Indi actually has a profile all of his own, and it should suit his new club perfectly.

While Mangala is a hard-tackling defender, Martins Indi prefers to stay on his feet, making just 1.5 tackles per game on average in the Eredivisie last season. This rose significantly to 2.3 per game during the World Cup for the Netherlands, without the tigerish Jordy Clasie in front of him.

What will really sell Martins Indi to his new public is his elegance. He is an accomplished passer of the ball, landing 86.7% of his passes for Feyenoord last season (rising to 91.2% during the World Cup), and can mix it up, averaging 4.6 accurate long balls per game. The 22-year-old is very good at holding on to possession too, which will be the first stage of Porto playing with the sort of authority that their fans expect, and which new coach Julen Lopetegui wants.

Romain Alessandrini (Rennes to Marseille, €5m)

Not too long ago, Alessandrini might have expected to be ahead of Cabella in the queue to replace Franck Ribéry when he dropped out of the France squad, but the last 18 months have been trying for him. Before the cruciate knee ligament injury he sustained in February 2013, the winger had been absolutely flying in his first top-flight season.

Alessandrini scored 10 and provided 6 assists in 20 Ligue 1 starts before injury struck, rating 7.02. After his recovery and a failed attempt to join his childhood favourites OM last summer, his form suffered. He posted 6 goals in 5 assists in 21 starts in 2013/14 as Rennes struggled.

Now 25, Alessandrini should relish the possession game played by Marcelo Bielsa and the Argentinian will expect a lot of him – one of his principal strengths is making key passes. With his explosive shooting power, his fee will look like chicken feed if he can rediscover his old swagger in a demanding, but enjoyable environment.
 

André Hahn (Augsburg to Borussia Mönchengladbach, €2.25m)

This is less a bargain and more a case of rubbing one’s eyes to make sure it’s true – but true it is, with Gladbach able to get outstanding value due to a release clause in Hahn’s contract. At 23, he’s already a full Germany international, having debuted in May’s friendly with Poland, and should fit in seamlessly at Borussia Park.

Hahn propelled Augsburg to a best-ever season last time out, scoring 12 and giving a further 7 assists from his position on the right-hand side. With Gladbach habitually making most of their attacks down the left last season (39%), the new man fills a need, and adopts a shoot-on-sight policy, with 2.9 efforts on goal per game, more than new colleagues Max Kruse and Raffael.

Furthermore, with the departure of the disappointing Luuk de Jong, Hahn’s aerial ability will come in handy, and he does his share of defensive work too. Yet the most important aspect of his game is his speed and ability to pop up on either side to score, suiting Gladbach’s amorphous attacking approach. With Thorgan Hazard also joining on loan, they should be a great watch.

What business do you think has represented the best value for money so far? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below