Leeds United will remain confident that their return to the Championship following relegation from the Premier League does not stick despite losing several key stars already this summer.
A host of first-team stars – including top scorer Rodrigo, Brenden Aaronson, Robin Koch, Marc Roca and Rasmus Kristensen – have all completed moves away from Elland Road, with just the one acquisition at present, in the form of £7m plus add-ons man Ethan Ampadu from Chelsea.
Transfer insider Dean Jones even went as far as to say that the Whites' transfer strategy has been "all over the place", given that only one deal has been finalised with the second tier kicking off the term in less than two weeks, which means manager Daniel Farke might be wise to act upon interest in Nottingham Forest forward Emmanuel Dennis.
How much is Emmanuel Dennis?
Earlier this month, Football Insider reported that the Whites had turned their attention to the Nigerian ace, who has endured a tough spell at the City Ground after arriving from Watford in a deal worth approximately £20m one year ago and has consequently been made available for transfer, as per The Athletic.
The Athletic also claim that the 25-year-old is keen to remain in Europe despite ostensible interest from the affluent Saudi Arabian clubs, circling like sharks this summer and swiping many players from Europe's top five leagues.
How many goals has Emmanuel Dennis scored?
Despite his relatively high fee, Dennis failed to impress for the Garibaldi and plundered only two goals and assists apiece in the top-flight from 19 outings.
However, if his exploits the previous term are anything to go by with Watford, Leeds could provide their forward ranks with a dynamic and destructive striker to lead the line with aplomb, with ten goals and six assists from 33 games his conclusive tally for the 21/22 Premier League season.
And given that Rodrigo has left Leeds after scoring 13 goals from just 23 starting appearances in the Premier League, a prolific talisman is most certainly required to tread water above the pack in the Championship, navigating a course back to the light.
While Leeds will be hoping for a term fighting at the reverse end of the table that has housed the side over the past two years, Farke will hope for cohesion and tenacity from all facets of his squad, which bodes well for Dennis given that he ranks among the top 10% of positional peers over the past year for tackles, the top 4% for blocks and the top 20% for clearances per 90, as per FBref.
He could also revitalise stricken striker Patrick Bamford, who has somewhat flattered to deceive over the past several seasons after bagging 17 goals in the league upon Leeds' return in 2020.
Admittedly, injuries have been the detriment to his craft over the past two years, but the 29-year-old boasts just six Premier League strikes to his name over this period nonetheless, and Dennis, who Transfermarkt claim has missed just five games across the duration of his professional career, could provide both a new dimension and a greater sense of striking reliability.
With the pair on the pitch together, however, Farke's side could wreak havoc on hapless Championship defences, with Dennis previously lauded for his "electric" presence on the pitch by reporter Josh Bunting, utilising his blistering pace and directness, while Bamford thrives as more of an offensive focal point, a conduit to link the play.
The partnership could play into that old footballing flow of traditional centre-forward – although Bamford arguably boasts an array of skills to navigate away from such a single-minded tag – melding with the pacy, fleet-footed strike partner, and Dennis could prove to ignite the frontline with a move to West Yorkshire.