According to Voerbal Belgie, as cited by Birmingham Live, Arsenal will have to fork out €25 million to attain the services of Emmanuel Dennis. The Club Brugge forward has emerged as a subject of interest from Premier League clubs, including Wolves and the Gunners, who are desperate to bolster their attacking options in the upcoming summer transfer window.
However, the Belgian champions are not willing to offload their star striker for cheap, demanding a whopping €25 million although they initially signed him for just €1.3 million back in 2017.
Taking a closer look at Emmanuel Dennis
Dennis is not a household name in European football. A product of the Abuja youth academy in his native Nigeria, the 22-year-old is a centre forward by trade. During his ongoing three year spell at Club Brugge, he has netted only 28 goals in 103 competitive games while winning two caps for the national team.
However, despite his lack of productivity, Dennis is considered to be a vital part of the Club Brugge attack. And this is primarily because of his versatility. The striker has played various roles across the final third under Philippe Clement, including the wide attacking positions.
The fact that Brugge often fluctuate between a 3-5-2 and a 4-1-4-1 formation, it forces Dennis to adapt himself accordingly. As a result, he can play almost anywhere in attack. In fact, the Nigerian tends to drift into wide areas even if deployed in a central role, which explains why he has had such an underwhelming scoring record in Belgium.
Aside from his versatility, Dennis is known for his pace and close control, allowing him to drift past defenders as well as wriggling his way through tight spaces. He is, therefore, a well-rounded forward, who could be worth every penny of his €25 million tag.
How will Dennis fit into Arsenal?
Dennis could be an ideal signing for Arsenal for multiple reasons. His versatility and pace, combined with his conversion rate, make him a like for like replacement for star striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who has been linked with a move elsewhere. More importantly, he can also serve as an alternative for the misfiring Alexandre Lacazette.
At Arsenal, Dennis could be accommodated into the starting lineup in two different ways. The obvious choice is to deploy him at left-wing, with Lacazette leading the attack. But, perhaps the best idea will be to form a two-man offensive line, with both Lacazette and Dennis leading the charge.
Indeed, the Nigerian international is quite familiar with that tactic, having often been deployed alongside David Okereke at Club Brugge. Nonetheless, Arsenal must go all out to sign Dennis, although it remains to be seen whether or not they will able to beat Wolves in his pursuit this summer.
