Nottingham Forest have made a bid of £20 million for Watford striker Emmanuel Dennis, The Athletic understands. The Reds are trying desperately to sign a new striker and look to have identified a new top target.
Dennis signed for the Hornets last summer from Club Brugge. He cost the Hertfordshire-based outfit £3.5 million and fired 10 goals during his maiden campaign playing in the Premier League.
Now, he’s a wanted man. Several clubs are thought to have been monitoring the situation but Forest are the first club to place some money on the table.
Dennis had been open to staying at Watford this season. They’re now in the Championship and he’s started both of the club’s league games so far during 2022/23.
Last season he proved a real menace for opposition defenders. Scoring 10 times during the first season in England is no mean feat and clearly Forest fancy him to do a job.
It’s not clear how Forest have structured the deal at this stage. What has been reported, however, is that the total bid equates to around £20 million.
Watford will sell at the right place. It was claimed they valued him around the £20 million mark, although they may want to recoup the majority of that upfront.
Forest bid for Dennis
The Reds would be wise to get this deal over the line. A Nigerian international, Dennis knows the Premier League and crucially he knows where the back of the net is.
Dennis doesn’t just score goals. Last season he laid on a further six in the way of assists and he’s proven himself as a team player on the pitch.
Forest would be signing a player that Michael Owen has endorsed previously. Last season, he called the £27,000-a-week player ‘excellent’ following a goalscoring performance against Aston Villa.
He also claimed that Dennis was a ‘bargain’ and even at £20 million, Forest might believe that they will be getting one of their own if they land the 24-year-old.