5) Kolo Toure (Arsenal) – £150,000
Plucked from obscurity by the Gunners, he arrived in England back in February 2002 with no one knowing who he was. Just two years later, he would be starring for a team that went unbeaten for an entire season.
Toure also had an excellent career with the likes of Manchester City, Liverpool and Celtic and the fact he cost so little makes it all the more remarkable.
