Tuesday 15 December 2015 16:13, UK
Riyad Mahrez's 11th league goal of the season against Chelsea suggests he is one of the Premier League's great bargain buys, but what other players fit the same bracket?
It has been nearly two years since Mahrez was playing for Ligue 2 club Le Havre. In January 2014 he joined Leicester City - who were in the Championship at the time - for a fee of just £400,000.
His rise to become the third highest goalscorer in the Premier League could mean he attracts interest from clubs around Europe in January, but what other Premier League names could be considered bargain buys? We take a look at 10 names, who signed for £2m or under, who have proved they were more-than-worth their value for money.
Joe Hart - Shrewsbury Town to Manchester City, £100,000
Joe Hart has experienced quite a transition from playing in the fourth tier of English football to the No 1 goalkeeper for England's national team. Hart moved to Manchester City from the League Two club in May 2006.
Aged 19, Hart made his debut for Manchester City against Sheffield United, and after loan spells at Tranmere, Blackpool and Birmingham, he went on to break into the first team. He held the starting role for brief periods before taking the No 1 spot permanently since the start of the 2010/2011 season.
Eric Cantona - Leeds United to Manchester United, £1.2m
A fall-out with Leeds United manager Howard Wilkinson meant Sir Alex Ferguson was able to secure the services of the enigmatic Frenchman for a cut-price fee in summer 1992. Cantona scored 64 goals in 143 appearances, and his Manchester United club honours include four Premier League titles, two FA Cups and three Charity Shields, making him a major contributor to Manchester United's period of dominance.
Peter Schmeichel - Brondby IF to Manchester United, £505,000
Considered one of the best goalkeepers to have ever played in the Premier League and labelled by Sir Alex Ferguson as 'the bargain of the century', Peter Schmeichel won 15 major honours with Manchester United including five Premier League titles and a Champions League. The Danish shot-stopper spent eight years at Old Trafford, pulling off numerous crucial saves as well as keeping 145 clean sheets in 292 appearances.
Tim Cahill - Millwall to Everton, £1.5m
Cahill moved to Everton from Millwall before the start of the 2004/05 season following a season where he helped The Lions make a surprise run to the FA Cup final. During Cahill's first season in Merseyside, he was top scorer with 12 goals as the club finished fourth in the league, earning Champions League qualification. Cahill went on to make 256 appearances, scoring 68 times and became Everton's second highest goalscorer in Premier League history. His aggression and aerial ability were just two of his standout traits.
Kolo Toure - ASEC Mimosas to Arsenal, £150,000
Although Toure's free transfer from Manchester City to Liverpool was considered a bargain, his introduction to the Premier League, becoming known as one of the league's most dependable defenders, began in 2002 when Arsene Wenger signed the Ivory Coast defender from ASEC Mimosas for £150,000.
Toure was one half of a formidable partnership with Sol Campbell and part of the Arsenal team that went on to become known as 'The Invincibles'. His pace and acceleration in his prime made him a suitable foil for the towering Campbell.
Michu - Rayo Vallecano to Swansea City, £2m
Michu surprised Swansea fans and the neutral observer after getting off to a storming start to his Swansea career. After joining from Rayo Vallecano before the start of the 2012/13 season, Michu scored 22 goals in his first season. The 29-year-old earned a call-up to the Spain national team and helped Swansea qualify for Europe by winning the Capital One Cup. Despite the rest of his time at Swansea being clouded by injury troubles, £2m for 22 Premier League goals made for a strong return.
Chris Samba - Hertha Berlin to Blackburn Rovers, £450,000
Samba's move to Blackburn from Hertha Berlin flew slightly under the radar in January 2007, and the hulking defender made a lasting impression when he joined the club. His strength, pace and aerial ability made him a tough competitor for strikers to face, while his knack for an occasional goal made him something of a fan favourite at Ewood Park.
The Congolese international made 160 appearances for Blackburn, scoring 16 goals before making a surprise move to Russian club Anzhi Makhachkala in February 2012.
Seamus Coleman - Sligo Rovers to Everton, £65,000
Since the last summer transfer window, the flying Everton full-back has been heavily linked with the likes of Manchester United, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint Germain. His profile has risen greatly since, as he joined Everton as an unproven defender from Sligo Rovers in 2009.
After a short loan spell at Blackpool, where he helped the club get promoted via the play-off final, Coleman returned to Everton and played at right midfield before moving deeper to play full-back. On the right-hand side of a back four under David Moyes and Roberto Martinez, Coleman has thrived and could be a transfer target for some of Europe's elite clubs in January.
Nicolas Anelka - Paris Saint-Germain to Arsenal, £500,000
A 17-year-old Nicolas Anelka made the move across the channel under newly appointed manager Arsene Wenger. He broke into the Arsenal team after an injury to Ian Wright in the 1997/98 season and became a key player in Arsenal's double, the Premier League and FA Cup. The following season, Anelka was Arsenal's top goalscorer, with 17 goals in the Premier League. In the summer of 1999, Anelka joined Real Madrid for £23m, meaning a huge profit for Arsenal.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer - Molde FK to Manchester United, £1.5m
126 goals in 336 games represented a highly productive goal return from the Norwegian striker who cost Manchester United just £1.5m from Molde FK, the team he now manages. The highlight of Solskjaer's time at the club was undoubtedly his stoppage time winner against Bayern Munich in the 1999 Champions League final. A knee injury forced Solskjaer to retire in 2007, marking the end of his 11 years of service.
