FLW’s Sheffield Wednesday fan pundit has admitted that he is unsure about a potential move for Nottingham Forest’s Emmanuel Dennis.
The Nigerian striker, who spent last season on loan at Watford, scored four goals in 17 league appearances. After returning to the City Ground in the summer, however, he has been largely overlooked for first-team selection and has yet to make an appearance this term.
Wednesday want to change this and could offer Dennis a potential escape route, according to The Star.
However, the news outlet suggests that it could prove a difficult deal to complete, with several other clubs both in England and overseas reportedly interested.
One of these sides is his former club, Watford, with Alan Nixon reporting they have joined the race for the striker.
Dennis’ form has been on a downwards spiral in recent years, but if he can rediscover some of that stardust that made Forest fork out £20 million, then he could be a top signing for Danny Rohl’s side.
Sheffield Wednesday pundit unsure on interest in Emmanuel Dennis
Speaking to Football League World, our Owls fan pundit, Patrick McKenna, revealed he isn’t too keen on signing Dennis this January.
“It doesn’t jump out at me as a signing that would excite me or be particularly successful,” said McKenna.
“I think it is quite obvious he is struggling at this stage of his career after his move (to Nottingham Forest) hasn’t gone through.
“Most likely, we would be signing a player low on confidence and, this season, low on game time.
“Given where we are, I don’t think that is the sort of player we should be looking at to come in. I would like to think that whatever player comes in has at least played this season and is of a certain level. We already have a striker low on confidence in Ugbo.
“Danny Rohl has mentioned that he wants impact players to come in, and I would agree with him. We need these players to come in now and make an immediate impact, not take too long to bed in. If you look at last season and the signings we made in January, they all made an impact quickly, and we benefitted from it with our strong run in the second half of the campaign.
“This wouldn’t be one that I view as a potentially good signing, but if he does sign, he could prove me wrong, and I would be delighted to be proved wrong.
“My gut instinct is that this is a deal we shouldn’t pursue too hard.”
Stuart Armstrong is of interest to Sheffield Wednesday.
Emmanuel Dennis may struggle to make an impact at Hillsborough
It is hard to disagree with McKenna as it seems that Dennis’ career is on a downwards spiral.
Since scoring 10 Premier League goals in 33 appearances for Watford during the 2021-22 season, he has found the back of the net just six times.
| Emmanuel Dennis 2021-22 Compared to most recent seasons (All Competitions) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Years | Appearances | Minutes | Goals | Assists | |
| 2021-22 | 35 | 2,645 | 10 | 6 | |
| 2022-Present | 53 | 2,408 | 6 | 3 | |
Completely out of favour at Forest, it is highly likely that he would arrive at Hillsborough lacking match fitness, something Wednesday would need to consider if they pursue a potential deal.
While a financially safe loan move may seem appealing, it’s unlikely to offer much help on the pitch. For that reason, targeting a younger, more motivated alternative could be the best course of action.
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