A look at the ten best free transfers of all time…can Liverpool new-boy James Milner live up to these superb bargain deals at the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea, Barcelona and Real Madrid?
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10) Steve McManaman (Liverpool to Real Madrid)
A superb player at Liverpool who made his mark at Real Madrid as well, the former England midfielder ran down his contract at Anfield before moving to the Bernabeu and winning two Champions League titles.
9) Demba Ba (West Ham to Newcastle)
A goal machine for Newcastle United, Demba Ba proved a great signing on a free from West Ham United, with other clubs cautious over signing him due to his injury history.
8) Esteban Cambiasso (Real Madrid to Inter Milan)
A backup player at Real Madrid who became a legend at Inter Milan, spending a decade with the club as one of their best players, helping them to numorous Serie A titles and the 2009/10 Champions League.
7) Robert Lewandowski (Borussia Dortmund to Bayern Munich)
One of the best strikers in the world, Robert Lewandowski controversially moved from Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich for nothing last summer.
6) Gary McAllister (Coventry to Liverpool)
A surprise signing who flourished at Liverpool in the final years of his career, Gary McAllister joined after spending most of his career with Coventry City.
5) Henrik Larsson (Celtic to Barcelona)
After out-shining his Celtic team-mates and most opponents in the SPL for far too long, Henrik Larsson left and joined Barcelona on a free, showing he could mix it up with the best.
4) Miroslav Klose (Bayern Munich to Lazio)
A deadly goal poacher and modern great, Miroslav Klose proved a big hit at Lazio after being allowed to leave at the end of his contract with Bayern Munich.
3) Michael Ballack (Bayern Munich to Chelsea)
A superb signing for the usually big-spending Chelsea, Michael Ballack joined the Blues on a free from Bayern Munich, helping them to a number of trophies.
2) Andrea Pirlo (AC Milan to Juventus)
Allowed to leave as AC Milan thought he’d past his best, Andrea Pirlo made the move to rivals Juventus on a Bosman and became one of their best players for another four seasons, possibly in contention to win another Champions League title this year.
1) Sol Campbell (Tottenham to Arsenal)
One of the best defenders in Arsenal’s history, this has to go down as one of the best signings of all time as the Gunners nicked Sol Campbell from arch rivals Tottenham Hotspur, in a deal that was as controversial as it was successful, with the former England star winning the double in his first season at Highbury, with more honours to follow.
