May 15 2007, 12:00 AM, updated 19y ago
9. Jonathan Woodgate ('Boro, £7 million): Two managers in the north-east considered borrowing Jonathan Woodgate when he became available in August. Nine months later, Gareth Southgate is assured of his future while Glenn Roeder has none at Newcastle. It is not exaggerating Woodgate's impact to suggest that, had he returned to Newcastle, Roeder may still be their manager and Middlesbrough could be contemplating life in the Championship. Instead, Woodgate has cemented his reputation as one of the classiest defenders in the Premiership and Southgate's twin coups - loaning and then signing him permanently - offer Boro some cause for optimism for the future.
8. Javier Mascherano (Liverpool, £1.5 million): West Ham may have marginalized him, but Liverpool have not made the same mistake. For an initial £1.5 million, he has quickly become an integral part of Rafael Benitez's team. While central midfield is a position of strength for the Spaniard, Mascherano has displaced both Xabi Alonso and Momo Sissoko and his performance in the second leg of the Champions Leg semi-final against Chelsea justified his price tag alone. It is a rarity for any one player to rank among the best and worst signings of the same season, but Mascherano does.
7. Kanu (Portsmouth, free): Harry Redknapp has displayed a weakness for players he was unable to afford during their prime, but few of his aged recruits have been as successful as Kanu. The Portsmouth manager's estimates of his age may vary between 47 and 54 - though Kanu is officially only 30 - but the undeniable fact is that this is his best goalscoring season since 1999-2000. After only 7 goals in 53 games for West Brom, the Nigerian was a surprise on the list of the Premiership's top scorers until the final weeks of the campaign and even more surprisingly, scored a few with his head.
6. David James (Portsmouth, £2 million): Reputations are often enhanced by absence from the England squad. Certainly David James' has been, though it has benefited more from his fine form at Fratton Park. Reinvigorated by his move to Portsmouth, James has displayed the attributes, principally extraordinary agility and the capacity to make world-class saves, that heighten the sense of what might have been if he could have added consistency to his game. A Premiership record for clean sheets is one reward. So, too, is the acclaim of those who previously derided him as 'Calamity James'.
5. Christopher Samba (Blackburn, £400,000): Pound for pound, arguably the best signing of all at just £400,000. The giant Congolese is perhaps the most intimidating defender in the Premiership physically, but he has been so accomplished that his qualities stretch far beyond size alone. Blackburn's advancement in 2007 can be attributed to the signing of Samba and his pairing with a fit-again Ryan Nelsen at the heart of their defence.
4. Joleon Lescott (Everton, £5.5 million): He would garner some votes as the Premiership's best left-back this season yet, by trade, he is a right-sided central defender. Paying £5.5 million for a player without a single Premiership game to his name seemed generous by David Moyes, but his investment has been justified. If Lescott's long-term future surely lies alongside Joseph Yobo at the centre of the Everton defence, his seamless adaptation to an unaccustomed role on the left flank has marked him out as player of class. The Goodison Park faithful were convinced long before Steve McClaren, who gave Lescott belated recognition in his selection of the England B squad to face Albania.
3. Carlos Tevez (West Ham, undisclosed): Although he incurred his club a £5.5 million fine and the wrath of their relegation rivals and also failed to score in his first 19 games, Carlos Tevez still qualifies as an unqualified success. By a landslide margin, he was voted the Hammer of the Year - and though 84.5% of West Ham fans can be wrong, on this occasion, they are not.
The Argentine, something of a force of nature, provided the spirit West Ham were lacking as well as, after belatedly opening his account, the goals to transform their season and, with a certain inevitability, scoring the winner to secure survival. The Hammers have gone from wondering why he was signed to needing to deter suitors from much higher up the league. West Ham may have received special treatment, but there is no doubt that Tevez is a special player.
2. Benni McCarthy (Blackburn, £2.5 million): Over recent years, no summer's transfer talk has been complete without mention of McCarthy. His prolific form for Blackburn prompts the thought that someone really should have signed the South African sooner. Scoring 24 goals for any club is an achievement but, at just £2.5 million, it is a remarkable return, especially as only Didier Drogba outscored McCarthy in the Premiership.
Besides the total, his range of goals is impressive, with the wonderful shot he unleashed to eliminate Arsenal from the FA Cup perhaps the most memorable. McCarthy joins Christopher Samba, Stephen Warnock, Ryan Nelsen and David Bentley in an impressive stable of signings by Mark Hughes.
1. Dimitar Berbatov (Tottenham, £10.9 million): A signing that has almost proved just too good. With each demonstration of the Bulgarian's class, the rumours intensify: which of the big four want him most? Truth be told, each would benefit from his wonderful touch, allied with an instinctive understanding of space, and the calm, almost casual, finishing. It has brought 23 goals and Berbatov a legion of admirers. They may include most managers, but Berbatov's seeming willingness to stay at Spurs is the most welcome boost they could have. Were he to leave, however, he would be worth far, far more than the £10.9 million Tottenham paid for him.
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This post has been edited by Soulsareworthless: May 15 2007, 12:09 AM
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