© GiveMeSport
Watford weighs the swoop for Arsenal midfielder Ainsley Maitland-Niles

With the summer transfer window now open for English clubs, Watford has already added five new players to its squad.

While Kwadwo Baah and Mattie Pollock may have a hard time adapting to Premier League competitiveness right away, Danny Rose and Ashley Fletcher will appreciate their chances of joining the Hornets’ regular starting XI next season.

Meanwhile, Imran Louza is hoping to replicate the displays he produced for Nantes during the previous season as he was directly involved in 10 goals in 35 league games.

While drawing on players like Louza, Will Hughes, Tom Cleverley and Nathaniel Chalobah, Watford manager Xisco Munoz could expand his midfield options by storming for one of the Arsenal Academy graduates.

The Hornets are reportedly considering a move for Ainsley Maitland-Niles, according to the Daily Mirror.

The Gunners midfielder, who is also attracting great interest in Southampton, spent the second half of the previous season on loan at West Bromwich Albion.

While he couldn’t prevent the Baggies from relegating to the second division, Maitland-Niles showed glimpses of his talent in the 16 games he played for the club.

Given that the England international’s current contract at the Emirates Stadium runs until 2023, the Hornets may have to make a sizable offer to secure his services.

It is believed that both Southampton and Watford will step up their pursuit of Maitland-Niles next week by getting closer to the Arsenal man.

Joshua Cole from GIVEMESPORT says …

Provided this report is correct, if they can beat Southampton into Maitland-Niles’ signature there could be a coup for the Hornets.

Currently behind Thomas Partey, Emile Smith Rowe and Mohamed Elneny in the pecking order at Emirates Stadium, the 23-year-old could be forced to watch from the sidelines next season if he chooses to stay in the Emirates.

Therefore, to keep its development from stalling, it could be argued that moving to Watford could be mutually beneficial.

While the Hornets have a player who knows exactly what it takes to compete at this level, having played 79 Premier League games during his career, Maitland-Niles can learn from Munoz’s guidance, who a positive impact on the club’s players in recent months.

Although Maitland-Niles’ endeavors for consistency last season resulted in him getting an average WhoScored game rating of 6.48 for West Brom, he undoubtedly has the potential to become a top-notch operator at that level, and therefore it can worth taking a risk.

Read more – Champions League 2021/22: fixtures, draw, results, odds, scores and everything you need to know

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR