Back in the 2018/19 season, Fulham spent in the region of £100 million on new players to stay up in the Premier League but ultimately failing and getting relegated to the Championship.
This approach of a massive clear-out-and-replace might mostly be risky, but it turned out to work for Watford back in their promotion in 2015 when they signed 15 players to bolster the club's prospect of safety.
The Hornets of 2021 is similarly busy in this current transfer window with the club already signing 9 names for the first team this summer.
18-year-old Kwadwo Baah signed for Watford following an impressive campaign with Rochdale. The versatile attacker who mostly lined up as an inverted left-winger scored three goals and provided two assists in 30 League One appearances, averaging one goal contribution per 270 minutes.
Manchester City was nearly close to signing the youngster back in January but a final stage complication led the deal to fall through. The likes of Bayern Munich and Juventus were also up for the contract of the young talent.
Kwadwo Baah is most likely to be loaned out of the club to a top-half League One club or any Championship side to further his development.
Like Baah, Mattie Pollock is also a signing done with the future years in their head. Watford wants to maintain a solid foundation even if they are to be relegated this season. And they will want Pollock to grow into a magnificent defender by then. The fourth tier's best aerial defender is likely to be sent to a League One side following his solid defensive performance for League Two side Grimsby Town.
Watford's most expensive signing this summer so far, Imran Louza is expected to shoulder the responsibility of Watford's midfield. Costing around £8.5m, the left-footed midfielder will likely occupy the advanced left midfield position.
Louza has a good eye for goal while also being excellent at playing between the lines and transitioning defensive phases of play into attacking phases. The 22-year-old talented midfielder can also be sold by a marginal profit by the club in the future.
Former Manchester United youth Ashley Fletcher joined Watford on a free transfer after a spell in Middlesbrough. Prior to too many injuries and a poor run of form, the once most highly-rated attacking youngster will have to look to improve his game if he wants a future in the top tier of English football.
Watford fans will be expecting the best out of Danny Rose as the former Tottenham full-back has loads of Premier League experience in his bags. Once considered one of the best left-backs in the league, Danny Rose has yet more to give to the league. Rose's absence from first-team football for over 12 months mixed with competition from Adam Masina means that the former two-time best left-back of PFA Premier League Team of the Seasons will have to face a tough fight for a place in the starting XI.
Signing Rose in a free transfer is a low-risk, high-reward deal, guaranteeing both left-back depth and starting competition.
No one saw it coming when Watford announced Dennis attacker Emmanuel Dennis as their new summer signing. Not a single rumor or speculations formed around the transfer and it is one of the rare transfer stories of football. The 23-year-old had been signed for a rather cheap sum(£3-4m) considering the attacking threat he imposes in front of the goal.
Yet another young attacker in Watford's book, Dapo Mebude is one for the future as the Hornets are looking to build a core of talented youths. Only 19 years of age, the Scottish attacker is likely to be another player on the list of loan for Watford this season.
Energetic midfielder Peter Etebo joined Watford on a loan deal from Championship side Stoke City. One of the most celebrated midfielders in the second tier, Etebo is more than capable to deliver in the competitive atmosphere of the Premier League. The versatile midfielder can also play in multiple roles given the opportunity and Watford didn't have to spend any big some for the loan.
Sarr was the only Hornet with double-digit goals last season. Joao Pedro's nine goals were impressive for a 19-year-old, though his run of form at the end of the campaign provided a reminder that the Hornets need to add more central-attacking threats to maximizing chances at survival. Even with Cucho Hernandez returning from loan and set to finally get a chance at Vicarage Road, the hierarchy knows a guarantee of goals is needed, rather than just riskier gambles.
King, a proven Premier League goal scorer who is still 29 years old, arrives as a free agent formerly playing with Bournemouth. King's goal-scoring talents are widely known as the striker reached double digit in the 16/17 and 18/19 season.
Many more summer arrivals are expected from the Hornets as the club is looking to start the campaign on a strong note. But many arrivals also mean that many players will have to leave the club.
Two things are certain for Watford regardless of what happens between now and deadline day. 1) Watford's squad has more depth, especially in the attack, than they did in their last Premier League campaign where a false sense of security in squad depth led to catastrophe when any first-choice player was injured and 2) The Hornets are preparing for a bright, sustainable future, one which can be achieved regardless of future tier.
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