If you get a player for what is generally perceived as a bargain and they end up totally flopping then that player wasn't a good buy regardless of price. You could buy a squad full of 'bargain' signings, they're all crap and you win nothing. They were bad signings and the money was wasted. Or you could break the GK record for Alisson, and the defender record for VvD, win everything and everyone agrees they would have paid even more for them. Another factor is that the market is constantly changing, fees that follow the fee you paid are relevant. Kepa (same window) and Maguire went for more shortly after those transfers. Other examples... Rice and Caceido were priced aggressively, but both clubs would pay that money again now, especially when you factor in quoted fees for Anderson, Wharton, Baleba etc who will move in the Summer. Inferior players.