EFL Championship side, Blackburn Rovers have secured the signing of Nigerian forward Emmanuel Dennis on loan from Nottingham Forest, as the club pushes for promotion.

Dennis, 27, becomes the fourth Super Eagles player to wear Blackburn’s colors, following in the footsteps of Yakubu Aiyegbeni, Dickson Etuhu, and Hope Akpan.

Blackburn’s Official Statement

The Championship club confirmed Dennis’ arrival in a statement on their website:

“The 27-year-old striker becomes the third signing of the day, following the arrivals of Yuri Ribeiro from Braga and Cauley Woodrow from Luton Town.” 

“A prolific goalscorer, Dennis started his senior career with Ukrainian side Zorya Luhansk, netting the opener in a 3-0 win on his debut in July 2016.” 

“He gained Europa League experience in games against Feyenoord, Fenerbahce and Manchester United, before netting a further five league goals for Zorya, who finished the 2016-17 Ukrainian Premier League season third in the table.”

“A move to Belgian side Club Brugge followed in the summer of 2017, with Dennis again finding the back of the net on his debut, the first of 19 league goals in 85 games for the club.”

“Following a loan spell in Germany with FC Koln, Dennis made the move to England, with Watford securing his signature in June 2021.”

“He bagged 10 Premier League goals in 30 starts, including another debut goal in a 3-2 victory over Aston Villa.”

“His fine form at Vicarage Road prompted Nottingham Forest to spend a reported £20m on the striker in August 2022, where he continued to play regular Premier League football, scoring in games against Aston Villa and Newcastle United.”

“Loan spells with Istanbul Basaksehir and former club Watford followed for the Nigeria international, who has eight caps for his country.”

Dennis will now hope to rediscover his goalscoring touch at Rovers after becoming our sixth signing of the January window.”

Welcome, Emmanuel! 

“The deal is subject to approval from the relevant football authorities.”

A Fresh Start in the Championship

Emmanuel Dennis struggled for game time at Nottingham Forest and will now look to revive his career in the EFL Championship.

With Blackburn sitting fifth in the table and chasing promotion, the Nigerian forward is expected to play a key role in their attacking setup.

Dennis hopes to rediscover the form that made him a standout at Club Brugge and Watford, with an eye on breaking back into the Super Eagles squad.