Big Sam: Prem prices too much

By Mark Buckingham  

Big Sam: Prem prices too much

Related links

Teams

Players

Sam Allardyce is confident he has landed a bargain for Bolton Wanderers in Abdoulaye Meite due to the inflated prices in The Premiership.

Meite has signed a four-year contract at The Reebok Stadium after Bolton paid in the region of £1 million to Marseille.

The Ivory Coast international's capture ends Allardyce's lengthy pursuit for the centre half, who has previously been tracked by other Premiership clubs.

Trotters boss Allardyce is no stranger to exploiting the foreign transfer market and has picked up many an overseas bargain.

He feels the fees being quoted for English-based centre halves demonstrate that he has made another astute purchase in the form of Meite.

"Looking at the prices in The Premiership now for players with little Premiership experience in the central defensive positions," Allardyce told Sky Sports News.

"Robert Huth, for instance, hasn't really played that much for Chelsea - £5 million.

"Joleon Lescott to Everton from Wolves - £4.5 to £5 million.

"What we've got here is a player who has been in European football every season with Marseille and at the top of the French league every season.

"He is also only 25, so we've got a real bargain on our hands."