Steve Cooper wants to swap Nottingham Forest striker Emmanuel Dennis for Watford winger Ismaila Sarr, according to The Mirror. The Reds head coach is keen to have a minor reshuffle of his squad this winter, with Premier League survival in his sights.
Dennis checked in at the City Ground during the summer. He cost the club around £10 million, with a series of add-ons also included in the deal that could see it rise to around double that amount.
The 25-year-old has started just three games in the Premier League for the Reds. He did score in one of those games as he opened the scoring in a 1-1 draw against Aston Villa earlier in the season.
Dennis hasn’t really hit the heights that he promised though. Cooper has never really fancied him and although he dismissed the notion of him leaving, it looks likely that if a deal could be done, he’d do it.
Sarr could be available for transfer during the transfer window. The Senegal international has the desire to play Premier League football and in the summer he will have a single year remaining on his deal.
Sarr has scored six times and claimed four assists in the Championship during 2022/23. Now, an exciting proposition could present itself to Forest as they go in search of some new signings.
Dennis can only play for Watford domestically as he’s already played for the Hornets and Forest this season. As a result, the two clubs could look to strike a deal that sees Sarr arrive on Trentside.
Forest eye swap involving Sarr and Dennis
If this is a possibility, Forest must do whatever it takes to get it over the line. Sarr is quick, direct and has the capabilities to glide past opposition defenders with real ease. Furthermore, he’d surely welcome a move back to the Premier League.
Sarr has been at Watford since 2019. He has scored 30 goals and registered 22 assists in 11 appearances for the Championship outfit, with 50 of his outings coming in the Premier League.
Scoring goals have been a problem for Forest this season. As a result, signing some more firepower will surely be the order of the day for the Reds this month and Sarr would certainly help.
Dennis hasn’t really made the grade on Trentside and his application has been questioned. The Reds should do whatever it takes to offload him this month and if a swap deal with Sarr could be done, it’d be a fantastic piece of business.