- EXCLUSIVE from Graeme Bailey
Nottingham Forest forward Emmanuel Dennis looks set to make a dramatic return to Championship side Watford.
HITC Football understands that the Hornets have agreed a deal to bring Emmanuel Dennis back to Vicarage Road on loan for the rest of the season.
Dennis was recalled from his loan spell at Turkish side Istanbul Basaksehir so that the £20m forward can make a return to English football.
Scottish giants Glasgow Rangers had shown an interest in the 26-year-old, but he’ll be playing his football in England’s second tier for the rest of the season.
Watford agree Dennis loan move from Forest
Nottingham Forest’s transfer business since their return to the Premier League has been frequent, to say the least.
Steve Cooper did a brilliant job overseeing a huge squad and guiding them to safety last season.
Dennis arrived from Watford after their promotion and while he was first choice at the beginning of the campaign, his minutes became more limited as the campaign went on.
He only scored twice in that time with five months between his goals against Aston Villa and Newcastle.
Taiwo Awoniyi, Brennan Johnson and Morgan Gibbs-White turned out to be the most effective attacking combination for Cooper, meaning Dennis was mainly limited to substitute appearances, especially after Chris Wood’s arrival in January.
Summer move for Dennis failed to pay off
Despite their spending spree during their first Premier League campaign, Nottingham Forest didn’t slow down last summer and brought in another 14 players.
That included forwards Anthony Elanga, Callum Hudson-Odoi, and Divock Origi on loan and making Wood’s move permanent.
It therefore made sense to loan Dennis out and Turkish side Istanbul Basaksehir was his destination.
Unfortunately, it’s not worked out for the Nigerian international in the Super Lig.
He appeared in eight of Basaksehir’s first nine matches after joining the club before picking up an injury.
Mainly playing on the left wing, Dennis failed to record a goal or assist in just four starts and the team went on their best run of the season while he was on the sidelines.
Now, Dennis will be hoping to improve his form at Watford 18 months after leaving the club for Nottingham Forest.
It could be a situation that works out for all three parties if he can once again flourish in yellow and black.
Dennis’s Forest career surely coming to an end
No matter how well Dennis’s loan move to Watford goes, it’s hard to see him being reintegrated into the Forest squad in the summer.
Nuno Espirito Santo has plenty of options to choose from now with Awoniyi and Wood both having strong spells of form this season.
That’s before you consider the club bringing in more signings in the next transfer window.
Selling Dennis will raise some important cash although it’s unlikely they’ll recoup the full £20m they spent on him.
He could be a huge asset for a team in the Championship who are sitting just three points outside the play-offs.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
