I said no to the return of Super Eagles star – Watford Manager Ismael

Watford’s manager, Valerien Ismael, has made it clear that he turned down the opportunity to re-sign Nigerian forward, Emmanuel Dennis, during the summer transfer window, Soccernet.ng reports.

Nottingham Forest was in the process of restructuring their squad during the 2023 summer break, with Dennis listed as one of the players available for a move.

Although there were rumours of Dennis returning to Vicarage Road, Ismael was not convinced and declined the offer to bring the Nigerian back.

The Super Eagles forward, had joined Nottingham Forest during the 2022 summer transfer window, along with fellow Nigerian Taiwo Awoniyi.

However, his performance in the domestic league did not meet expectations, with just two goals in 19 appearances.

This underwhelming performance was said to be one of the key reasons Ismael opted not to bring the 25-year-old forward back to Watford.

His response was clear and straightforward, as quoted by Watford Observer:“His name came to my desk, but I said no.”

Ismael’s decision was also influenced by other options in the transfer market, including South Korean international Cho Gue-sung, who eventually joined Midtjylland.

“We had a number of players who fit the No.9 profile, and we were working on them simultaneously,” Ismael explained.

“You have a list of names, and you start to figure out which ones are possible and which ones don’t fit.

“Sometimes we were used by agents who dropped Watford’s name, inflating the market. At some point, we have to stop it and be strong with our valuation. We won’t be part of an auction.” he continued

Ismael emphasized that player signings are not solely determined by financial considerations.

“It is also about the right player who fits our philosophy and mentality. It is not only about the money.” he added.

Dennis, eventually secured a season-long loan with Istanbul Basaksehir, but he has yet to score a debut goal in his first four games for the Turkish side.