Last week we had the ten buys that had gone a bit wrong this season, so now we've taken the glass half-full approach and picked out the ten best. Who's a better purchase than Carlos Tevez...?
10) Marcus Hahnemann (Wolves, free from Reading)
Signing a goalkeeper like Hahnemann for nowt as back-up to young Wayne Hennessey was a stroke of genius by Mick McCarthy. Not only did he get a goalkeeper with Premier League experience, he also has a player who can pass on his knowledge to the young Welshman. Frankly, he also looks cool as f***.
9) Kevin-Prince Boateng (Portsmouth, £5m from Tottenam)
In a season full of woe for the Pompey fans the signing of Boateng has been a welcome light in the pitch blackness. The Ghetto Kid's performances have been a joy to watch as he stalks around with a great air of confidence and delivers on the potential that persuaded Spurs to buy him in 2007. Knowing 'Arry Redknapp, they'll probably buy him back soon.
8) Luis Antonio Valencia (Manchester United, £16m from Wigan)
If Sir Alex had found this gem before Steve Bruce - and thus hadn't paid £16m for his services - he would have been several places higher up this list. But the fee takes nothing away from Valencia's performances in a red shirt this season. He may have started a tad slowly as he came to terms with the weight of expectation, but he is currently one of the few United players operating at anywhere near their potential. We just wish he'd bloody smile sometimes.
7) Damien Duff (Fulham, £3m from Newcastle)
There were a fair few raised eyebrows at Fulham for signing a 'past it' player ravaged by injuries, but Duff's form this season hints at why Chelsea spent £17m on a younger version. He may have lost a yard of pace, but just like Ryan Giggs, he can still be dangerous with the ball at his feet - turning opposing players inside out with a drop of the shoulder. Duff also seems to have found his scoring boots in the back of a cupboard somewhere, because he has already matched his Newcastle league total in about a third of the games.
6) Niko Kranjcar (Tottenham, £2.5m from Portsmouth)
The third Croat to join Spurs was an absolute steal for £2.5m. For a flair player he has the usual pre-requisites - deft touch, great vision and decent set-piece delivery - but it's his ability to get stuck in that has impressed Tottenham fans. He could quite easily hug the touchline and leave the tough stuff to the likes of Wilson Palacios - but he gets involved and doesn't shirk his defensive responsibilities. Add this to the list of qualities above and you could easily have added an extra £5m onto his price tag and no-one would have blinked an eye.
5) Richard Dunne (Aston Villa, £5m from Manchester City)
With all Manchester City's struggles at the back despite spending £50m on defenders, and Richard Dunne's resurgence of form under Martin O'Neill, this has to go down as one of the bargains of the season. Dunne has seamlessly filled the large hole in Aston Villa's rearguard left by Martin Laursen. Add in solid signings like James Collins and Stephen Warnock, and you get a defence as tight as Chelsea's at a fraction of the price.
4) Darren Bent (Sunderland, £10m from Tottenham)
Having scored 14 of Sunderland's 30 Premier League goals this season, you have to wonder just where the Black Cats would be without Darren Bent. Buying a top-quality English striker with an outstanding goalscoring record for £10m is rarer than maturity from Gary Neville, so Sunderland pulled off something of a coup when they bought Bent. He's scored goals with both feet and his bonce and could still yet make it to SA despite Sunderland's woes.
3) Thomas Vermaelen (Arsenal, £10m from Ajax)
Arsene Wenger hasn't had the best of records with centre-halves (see Stepanovs, Cygan, Senderos, Silvestre etc etc), so Tony Adams wasn't the only one questioning the £10m acquisition of a virtual unknown. But the Belgian has been something of a revelation, with quick feet, great vision, an almighty leap and an attacking flair rarely seen in a centre-half. The most frightening thing for the Premier League's strikers? At only 24, he has his best years ahead of him.
2) Carlos Tevez (Manchester City, rather a lot of money from MSI)
It matters not whether this deal was worth £25m, £35m or £45m, as long as Tevez was a success at City (and 17 goals in 26 games is a success in anyone's language), this was an inspired signing. A massive 'f*** you' to United, the goals and the phenomenal work rate are a weekly reminder that City now have more financial clout than their neighbours. It could only get better if City win a trophy while United flounder and end the season potless.
1) Roger Johnson (Birmingham, £5m from Cardiff City)
Manchester City fans will tell you that it's rare to find a decent English centre-half for £20m, but Alex McLeish discovered one for just £5m at Cardiff City. Nine Premier League clean sheets later, Johnson is being linked with an England call-up. No 'footballing' centre-half, Johnson throws himself into challenges, clearing out the ball and the opposition with scant regard for himself. He thinks only of his team. He's the kind of old-fashioned centre-half which many thought was long gone from the elite game. Thankfully for Birmingham, it's not.