According to HLN, as cited by Voetbalkrant, Leeds United are among clubs monitoring Emmanuel Dennis. The Club Brugge star is seemingly keen on leaving the club and taking up new challenges. However, the Belgian outfit are holding out for a fee in the region of €20-€25 million for Dennis, who is also courted by clubs like Wolverhampton Wanderers and Newcastle United.
Emmanuel Dennis’ spell at Club Brugge
Dennis has been a part of Club Brugge since 2017 when he joined the club from Zorya Lugansk for a fee of €1.3 million. Since then, he has enjoyed a lot of success, having made over 100 competitive appearances for the club.
During that period, the Nigerian forward has netted 28 goals while providing ten assists. While his scoring statistics might not seem overly satisfying for a striker, Dennis did play a key role in helping Club Brugge secure two Belgian league titles.
Especially in the recent campaign, which was controversially brought to an end due to Coronavirus pandemic, Dennis scored five goals in 20 matches. He was also in all six of his club’s Champions League group stage matches, scoring one goal. However, as the 22-year-old completes three years at Club Brugge, he is now determined to find a new challenge, with Leeds United appearing as an intriguing destination.
Should Leeds United make a move for Dennis?
Dennis is not a traditional centre-forward. Part of what makes him such an appealing target for Leeds United is his versatility as he can play anywhere across the final third.
Much like Arsenal superstar Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, the Nigerian star can operate on the wide offensive areas but is capable of drifting inside to either provide or attempt a shot on goal. It could make him an asset for the Whites, who do need a more dynamic figure in attack other than Patrick Bamford.
Although Dennis is not exactly a prolific goalscorer, the 22-year-old’s versatility, chance creation and combination play should give Marcelo Bielsa’s side much more variety going forward. And it could be useful, especially in the Premier League, where small mid-table clubs often need to spark up creativity in order to create goalscoring opportunities.
On the flip side, however, Dennis’ staggering price tag does make him a slightly unrealistic or rather not a shrewd target for Leeds United. It is no secret that the Championship winners are not coming in heavy and replicating the Aston Villa project last summer by spending a large sum of cash in the transfer market would not be the smartest thing to do. And with that in mind, it would perhaps be wiser for Bielsa to set his sights on other, preferably cheaper alternatives.
