Watford boss Valerian Ismael said that he turned down the chance to sign Nottingham Forest attacker Emmanuel Dennis in the summer.

Dennis was among the players who left the City Ground in the transfer window amid the Reds' squad reshuffle. He joined Turkish outfit Istanbul Basaksehir on a season-long loan, little more than 12 months after he had put pen to paper for Forest.

The 25-year-old had joined Steve Cooper's side from the Hornets in August 2022. And according to Ismael, he could have ended up back at Vicarage Road.

The Watford manager says Dennis' name was put forward as a potential option as the club looked to strengthen up front. But he rejected the opportunity to recruit the Reds man. "His name came on my desk, but I said no. Simple as that," Ismael told the Watford Observer.

Dennis has made four league appearances for Basaksehir so far. Two of those have come as part of the starting XI. He is yet to find the back of the net.

He had largely been restricted to a substitutes' role for Forest last term as he struggled to impress, with 16 of his 25 appearances in the Garibaldi coming from off the bench. He found the net twice, against Aston Villa and Newcastle United.

The Nigerian remains under contract at the City Ground. The length of his deal was not disclosed when he signed but was reported to be four years.