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Emmanuel Dennis arrived on Trentside on Saturday evening to become The Reds’ latest summer signing. He joins Nottingham Forest from Watford on a 4 year deal worth £20m, Megasportsarena.com reports.
He joins compatriot Taiwo Awoniyi who moved from Bundesliga side Union Berlin in a club record deal.
A statement on the club’s website reads:
“Nottingham Forest is delighted to confirm the signing of striker Emmanuel Dennis from Watford.
“The 24-year-old forward arrives on Trentside having hit double figures for The Hornets last season, returning 10 goals from 33 Premier League starts.
“Prior to arriving in England, Dennis’ first professional venture was in Ukraine’s top-flight with Zorya Luhansk before enjoying a productive four-year spell in Belgium with Club Brugge, notably scoring twice in a 2-2 draw at the Santiago Bernabeu against Real Madrid in the group stages of the 2019/20 UEFA Champions League.
“With seven international caps to date for Nigeria, the pacey forward links up with fellow countryman Taiwo Awoniyi to bolster The Reds’ attacking options.
Welcome to The City Ground, Emmanuel!”
Here, we take a closer look at the 24-year-old’s career to date…
Born in Yola, Nigeria in 1997, Dennis started his youth career in his homeland with the Kwara Football Academy, joining in 2012 before moving to Ukraine in March 2016 to sign for top-flight side Zorya Luhansk.
A 12-month stay in the Ukrainian Premier League proved fruitful for the forward, returning 6 goals in 26 appearances whilst also gaining Europa League experience with group stage fixtures against Feyenoord, Manchester United and Fenerbache.
His form in Ukraine caught the attention of Belgian side Club Brugge, with the Brussels club confirming the permanent transfer of Dennis in May 2017 on a four-year contract. After notching two goals on his debut, the Nigerian netted four goals in his first three Jupiler Pro League appearances.
Featuring 116 times across all competitions for Club Brugge, Dennis showed he could perform at the highest level after scoring two goals in the 2019 Champions League group stages against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu as the Belgium side earned a 2-2 draw.
Dennis made 24 European appearances in total for Club Brugge and moved to a new challenge in the Bundesliga with FC Koln in 2021, appearing ten times during a brief loan spell.
The forward then signed a five-year contract with Watford after The Hornets agreed a fee to sign the Nigeria international from Club Brugge, going on to score 10 Premier League goals in 33 appearances last season for the Hertfordshire side.
Dennis was called up to represent Nigeria for the first time in 2019, making his debut in an international friendly against Ukraine before featuring in a 2-2 draw against Brazil four days later. His most recent appearance for his nation came in June this year and has seven caps to date.
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