da doce： According to a report from Belgian publication HLN, Sheffield United are eyeing up striker Emmanuel Dennis ahead of the summer window.
da blaze casino： The 22-year-old is on the wishlist of many clubs around Europe, with the Nigerian attracting plenty of suitors in the Premier League.
As well as the Blades taking an interest, Newcastle, Brighton and Watford are keeping an eye on his situation.
However, if United are to snatch him out of the jaws of Club Brugge, they will have to fend off Sampdoria, AS Monaco and Borussia Dortmund.
It’s a big list of teams which means Chris Wilder’s men presumably won’t have negotiations all their own way if they do make an offer for the forward in the summer months.
The report suggests he could cost at least €25m (£20.8m). It would come close to breaking the Blades’ record fee paid for a player. That did stand at £20m with Oliver McBurnie until Sander Berge arrived for £22m.
With that in mind, would he be a good capture? We asked our team of writers at FFC for their answers.
Lewis Blain:
“Chris Wilder can continue Sheffield United’s incredible PL story by landing Emmanuel Dennis this summer. The Englishman has got them in contention for a Champions League place in their first season back in the top-flight, so an addition with experience in that very competition will do wonders for their progression – even if they falter at the last hurdle and miss out on European football entirely.
“Dennis was once dubbed the Nigerian Neymar by fans of his old club Zorya, and this campaign he has bagged twice against the Brazilian’s old foes Real Madrid in the UCL – even celebrating like Cristiano Ronaldo for the ultimate troll. Despite not having the greatest goals to game ratio, he’s managed just eight in 33 apps this campaign, he brings so much more in terms of physicality and pace, which are the two key facets to his game. He’s more of an attacking outlet that brings others into play, one that can chip in occasionally too.
“The very fact that Borussia Dortmund see him as a replacement for the impressive Jadon Sancho speaks volumes, and if they can land the 22-year-old for £20.8m ahead of the Bundesliga giants, then it would be a touch of genius from Steve Bettis and all those involved. A genuine coup for the Blades.”
Charles Jones:
“It’s easy to paint Emmanuel Dennis as a good option by spinning the narrative that he scored twice against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu earlier this season, but those goals weren’t anything special if you watch them back, with both coming by virtue of luck. The Nigerian mis-hit his first effort and clumsily bundled the ball into the net for his second.
“The Belgian League isn’t really the greatest measuring stick either, Wesley was a hotshot over in Belgium, and he’s not done all that much at Aston Villa, scoring just five times.
“Chris Wilder’s side is built on hard work and doing the dirty work in every area of the pitch, and while a man once dubbed as the Nigerian Neymar would be exciting to watch, this just isn’t a good fit.
“I don’t think the Blades should be looking at signing him this summer.”
Who is that?! Nobody has been able to name the teams all of these obscure managers were once in charge of…
Viji Jeevathayalan:
“Whilst some may unfairly judge Emmanuel Dennis on the fact he has just eight goals all season, that completely takes away from just how hard he works for his team – and that’s exactly why he would be a perfect fit for Chris Wilder. As per Whoscored, the Nigerian averaged a remarkable 2.2 tackles per game in the group stages of the Champions League. To put that into context, that’s more than centre-backs like Joe Gomez (1.8) and Davinson Sanchez (1.8), and even more than Liverpool’s much-lauded workhorse Roberto Firmino (1.7).
“Dennis puts a real shift in, and that mentality would gel superbly at Bramall Lane. Yes, his goal-scoring record is not the greatest, but Wilder more than most would surely appreciate a striker who puts the team first. Sheffield United have been the ultimate underdogs this season as they chase a European spot. With his under-appreciated style of play, Dennis is the perfect symbol of the Blades.”
Matt Dawson:
“I think this would be a clever addition for Sheffield United, particular as he’d be able to offer the Blades something completely new in attack.
“Dennis was sensational when he scored twice inside the Bernabeu earlier this season but one of the most vibrant aspects of that performance was his dribbling ability. Embracing his inner Galactico, the 22-year-old registered three dribbles, a tally that stands at 2.7 per game over the entirety of the 2019/20 Champions League.
“Comparatively, no player in the Blades squad has managed more dribbles than Enda Stevens’ 1.9 per game. On top of that, only David McGoldrick has more than one dribble per match in United’s forward line. It’s clear they need someone more dynamic so Dennis could provide them with exactly that.”
In other Blades news, Chris Wilder’s NIGHTMARE trend looks like it could soon end…