12 Players from La Liga and Serie A Relegated Clubs That EPL Teams Should Target

The summer transfer window hasn't even opened yet—in case we all forget, that happens on July 1st—but rumors are already in full swing, now that European football season is over.

As English Premier League clubs once again scour the continent for talent to pick up on the cheap, especially given the "English premium" given to local talent, one of the 2012-2013 signings of the season comes to mind.

Swansea City's astute £2 million capture of Michu from Rayo Vallecano was a masterstroke, as the Spanish midfielder-turned-striker banged in 18 league goals in his debut season. Celta's talisman this season, Iago Aspas, is reportedly on the verge of a move to Liverpool, according to the Guardian.

After our look at talent to be picked up from the EPL's bottom clubs a couple of months back, let's now take a look at the basement clubs around Europe—Spain and Italy, to be precise.

Here are 12 players from the six relegated clubs in La Liga and Serie A that EPL clubs could do well to consider as they plan their summer transfer activity. Enjoy and let us know your picks in the comments below.

Many thanks to B/R's own Michael Cerna and Chris Atkins for their suggestions and opinions.

Giovani Dos Santos (RCD Mallorca)

Tottenham Hotspur fans: remember Giovani dos Santos?

Yes, the Mexican prodigy you signed from Barcelona as a teenager, only to farm him out on loan.

He's currently at RCD Mallorca, having finished the 2012-2013 La Liga season with six league goals in 29 appearances.

Following Mallorca's 18th-placed league finish, he's now being linked to American side LA Galaxy, according to MLSSoccer.com.

With 14 goals in 62 international appearances for Mexico, dos Santos clearly has the requisite talent to succeed in Europe. EPL clubs would do well to take a chance on him again. He's still only 24.

Geromel (RCD Mallorca)

A long-term loan signing from FC Koln, Pedro Geromel has been one of Mallorca's first-choice central defenders in the past season, making 30 league appearances and scoring one goal.

Prior to moving to Spain, the Brazilian defender enjoyed an impressive three seasons in Portugal with Vitoria Guimaraes before moving to Germany with Koln.

A profile on Bundesliga Fanatic in 2011 rated him as one of the best defenders in Germany. According to the same report, his performances have led to interest from such European powerhouses as Juventus, Lazio and Real Madrid. According to the Daily Mail, as recently as last summer, Wolverhampton Wanderers were considering a bid.

Now 27, Geromel is coming off the back of another impressive season, this time in La Liga, and could make a decent acquisition to England's top flight.

Bruno Gama (Deportivo La Coruna)

For 19th-placed Deportivo La Coruna, Portuguese winger Bruno Gama enjoyed another productive season, scoring six goals and notching four assists in 38 league games.

Having arrived in Spain two seasons ago, Gama made his La Liga debut last August, having spent the early years of his career in Portugal with Braga and FC Porto.

A traditional goal-scoring and tricky winger, Gama has not been capped by the full Portugal team, but has an impressive record across all youth levels for his country.

Any mid-table EPL club (or lower) might find him to be a relatively low-cost and risk-free attacking player to take a punt on this summer.

Apoño (Real Zaragoza)

At 29 years of age, Apoño would not be considered a prototypical Premier League signing, but an impressive nine goals in 32 league appearances from the center of Real Zaragoza's midfield could well play him into contention.

Apoño joined Zaragoza last summer, having spent the previous five seasons with Malaga, where he was part of the club's youth academy. 

In 2009, Apoño, then a star for Europe-chasing Malaga, was linked with a move to Tottenham Hotspur, Valencia and Villarreal, according to Goal.com.

With good vision and solid distribution, the Spanish schemer would be an interesting addition to a team looking for experience as well as a strength in passing and ball retention.

Roberto (Real Zaragoza)

Following Zaragoza's relegation from La Liga this season, goalkeeper Roberto may well be their hottest commodity this summer.

Commanding a total fee in excess of €17 million in his last two transfers—which included a €8.5 million move to Benfica (according to Goal.com) and another of similar financial magnitude to Zaragoza (according to ESPNFC), Roberto started out as a promising goalkeeper in the Atletico Madrid academy.

Highly rated by many in Spain, Roberto would likely see a hefty price tag on his head again as Zaragoza look to bounce back to the top flight after relegation.

Ezequiel Munoz (Palermo)

On to Italy, where traditional Serie A fixture Palermo surprisingly ended the 2012-2013 season third from bottom. Naturally, a squad with talent sprinkled across it would attract admiring glances this summer.

Starting with promising Argentine defender Ezequiel Munoz, who moved from Boca Juniors to Palermo in 2010 and has become a mainstay in the Sicilian club's starting XI following his impressive performances in the center of defence.

According to a report on InsideFutbol, Premier League side Liverpool were rumored to be interested in Munoz as recently as this past December.

At 22, Munoz has a whole career ahead of him, and could prove to be worth the undoubtedly high asking price by his club this summer.

Abel Hernandez (Palermo)

Up front for Palermo is Uruguayan youngster Abel Hernandez, who is known for his speed and physical prowess as a striker.

His performances for Palermo has reportedly attracted interest from Tottenham Hotspur (Telegraph), Arsenal and Roma (talkSPORT). Hernandez has scored three goals in nine senior caps for the Uruguay national team and will be turning 23 this summer.

With the possible exodus of striking competition from Palermo this summer following their relegation, Hernandez might have the chance to establish himself as a first-choice striker in Serie B. If he doesn't end up on English shores, that is.

Paulo Dybala (Palermo)

Last summer, according to the Daily Mirror, Manchester City were interested in Palermo's Argentinian wonderkid forward Paulo Dybala, dubbed the new Sergio Aguero.

Aged just 19, Dybala is a prototypical South American striker, with pace to burn and dribbling skills to match, and is without doubt one of the most exciting young forwards in Europe.

He would have been a prime target for clubs across Europe even if Palermo stayed in Serie A; now that they will be starting next season in the second division, it looks increasingly likely that he will be one of the hottest properties on the transfer market.

Don't be surprised if he ends up in a top Premier League team.

Josip Ilicic (Palermo)

Rounding off our impressive Palermo quartet is arguably the biggest name of the list: Slovenian midfielder Josip Ilicic.

An impressive all-rounded midfielder, Ilicic has the passing and shooting skills of a modern Premier League midfield general, and it is no surprise that Arsenal have already been linked with the talented playmaker, via the Express.

Just like Dybala, Ilicic's future would have been up in the air this summer even if Palermo managed to stay up. 

Expect Ilicic to land in a top European team this summer.

Innocent Emeghara (AC Siena)

In stark contrast to Palermo with their star-studded squad, 19th-placed AC Siena arguably only have a single player who would be a good fit in the Premier League.

24-year-old Switzerland striker Innocent Emeghara, while on loan at Siena, makes it onto this list because of the reported €3 million buyout clause in his loan deal from French club Lorient, according to WhoScored.com.

With seven league goals in 16 Serie A starts, Emeghara was the understated signing of the January transfer window, eclipsed mostly by the whirlwind arrival of Mario Balotelli at AC Milan.

Pacy and strong in the air, Emeghara proved a handful in his short stay in Italy. His style of play makes him an ideal target for many a mid-table EPL club.

Juan Fernando Quintero (Pescara)

Like Emeghara in the previous slide, Juan Fernando Quintero is currently on loan at his club, Pescara, who may choose to exercise their buying option this summer.

Colombian international Quintero, aged just 20, plays in the attacking midfield position and has creativity in abundance, as well as an eye for goal.

In early May this year, the Daily Mail reported Manchester United's interest in the Pescara midfielder, who impressed in the South American U20 Championships earlier in 2013.

With the likes of Juventus and Internazionale also allegedly monitoring his situation this summer, Quintero won't be short of suitors, and Premier League clubs will have to fend off considerable interest to bring the talented midfielder to England's top flight.

Vladimir Weiss (Pescara)

We round off our 12-man shortlist with another name more familiar to Premier League fans: ex-Manchester City winger Vladimir Weiss.

Having impressed on loan at Bolton Wanderers, Rangers and Espanyol while still contracted to City, Weiss moved to Pescara on a one-year contract last year, which means he will be a much-coveted Bosman free transfer this summer.

With pace, dribbling and crossing, Weiss is a dangerous winger who weighed in with four goals and four assists in just 16 starts for Pescara this season.

Given his track record on British shores, and add to that the fact that he will arrive on a free, Weiss might well be plying his trade in the Premier League again next season, and should be considered a major target.

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