Watford striker Emmanuel Dennis is wanted by Premier League trio Everton, West Ham United and Nottingham Forest, according to The Athletic.
Fulham and Southampton are also said to be keen on the Nigeria international, 24, with the relegated Hornets said to be open to selling him for around £20million.
None of Dennis’ suitors has tabled an official offer yet, but a chance to make a significant profit on a player they bought from Club Bruges for just £3million last summer could be too tempting to turn down.
Which club needs him most?
The Nigerian could still end up spending 2022-23 at Vicarage Road as manager Rob Edwards has plans to bring his side back to the top-flight at the first time of asking.
Watford have already lost the likes of Moussa Sissoko, Cucho Hernández, Joshua King, Adam Masina and Kiko Femenía so far this summer, but such losses come with the territory, and Dennis will be keen to keep playing top-flight football.
He was playing Champions League football some few months ago in Belgium, and dropping to the Championship would not do his C.V any good.
The former Club Bruges star is clearly not short of suitors, and more clubs could still come after him after a season that saw him produce 10 goals and six assists in his debut Premier League campaign.
With five English top-flight sides interested in him, it is obvious that Dennis has what it takes to make a difference leading the line for any of them, but playing for another newly-promoted team may not exactly be appealing to him again.
At City Ground, the Watford hitman will likely be made to partner fellow Super Eagles teammate Taiwo Awoniyi in attack, and the duo could help fire Steve Cooper’s side to safety if all goes well.
However, whether a two-man striking system would work at Forest remains to be seen, and if both players can gel is unknown.
Fulham are also an interesting option, but they have failed to stay up after each of their last promotion since 2018-19.
They could do with another quality striker, but Aleksandar Mitrović seems raring to go after firing the Craven Cottage outfit to promotion with 43 Championship goals and seven assists.
Dennis will not want to play second fiddle to the Serbian international striker, and manager Marco Silva is not exactly known for deploying a double-striker system.
Southampton appear to be a solid option for the Nigerian, but they recently signed Sekou Mara from Bordeaux, and another attacker could be off the cards for them.
West Ham have also landed a striker, with Italian international Gianluca Scamacca joining from Sassuolo, and that leaves Everton as Dennis’ most realistic and feasible option.
Manager Frank Lampard recently lost Richarlison to Tottenham Hotspur, and while Dwight McNeil has since arrived from Burnley, a forward – who proved his worth in front of goal last term – would be a quality addition.
Dennis, alongside Dominic Calvert-Lewin, could help fire the Toffees to a top-seven finish they have long desired, but his £20million price tag could prove too tricky for a club under FFP scrutiny.
