6. Edwin Van Der Sar – Fulham to Manchester United, £2m, 2005
United’s struggle to replace Peter Schmeichel was well documented and for several years the likes of Mark Bosnich, Massimo Taibi and Roy Carroll could not fill his gloves.
However, that all changed when he paid a minimal fee to Fulham for the already experienced Dutch international and he played a crucial role in their success over the next six years.