Arsenal: 8 summer transfers to target from relegation candidates

Arsenal still have 14 matches left to play as they compete in their own mini-league separate from the majority of the division.

At this stage of the campaign the Premier League usually breaks up. This time we have two sides competing for the title, one team stuck in third-place purgatory, some wrestling for top four, a few stuck in mid-table mediocrity, and others battling to avoid the drop.

Mikel Arteta’s side are firmly in the top four group along with Manchester United, Tottenham, West Ham and Wolves, although the focus on this occasion will look further down the table.

Some supporters won’t care one jot about what happens below their team in the table. Others simply can’t get enough.

8 summer transfer targets for Arsenal from the sides in threat of being relegated from the Premier League this season

For those interested in the lower reaches, this season is set to cough up a relegation scrap that will keep viewers glued to their screens until the bitter end. As it stands there are about six teams in with the chance of being demoted to the second tier, with Newcastle just about looking out of the woods.

Eddie Howe’s side sit in 14th, four points clear of the drop, and while they’re not a certainty to be safe, their form looks like being enough to steer them clear.

What does this mean for Arsenal? Well, any relegation to the Championship screams transfer potential. It’s an opportunity to cherry pick the best of the rest as clubs find themselves in need of selling as well as players seeking their own immediate returns to top-flight football.

Of the six sides in contention to go down, there are eight players who might be of interest to Arsenal in the eventuality of said side bidding farewell to the Premier League. Nobody has actually been relegated yet, but it’s worth taking a look anyway.

Spoiler: there are no Norwich players included. Shock.

1. Emmanuel Dennis – Watford

Brought in for £3.6m from Club Brugge last summer, if we’re looking for anything positive that Watford have done this season – apart from walloping Manchester United 4-1 – then it’s the signing of Emmanuel Dennis.

The 24-year-old’s debut season in English football has gone impressively well, especially considering how impressively atrocious Watford have been.

Dennis has grabbed himself nine goals and five assists in the league this season, showcasing versatility having been fielded across the front line by his 12 different managers this year, as well as excellent technique with the ball at feet.

He’s someone who has been fun to watch. Clever instincts in and around the box have seen him clock up the number of goals he has, which is even more impressive considering how often he is tasked with drifting into wide areas.

Quick, nimble, and an unbelievable jumper in the air for someone who is only 5’8″ (he’s 97 percentile across Europe for aerials won), given Arsenal are likely to need two strikers in the summer, he’s worth taking a look at to bolster the squad.

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