Watford manager Claudio Ranieri has maintained they are happy to keep striker Emmanuel Dennis despite Nigeria interim coach Augustine Eguavoen claiming the Premier League club had threatened the player from taking part in the Africa Cup of Nations.
The 24-year-old was among the four players who were replaced in the Super Eagles squad for the 33rd edition of the continental finals set to kick off in Cameroon on January 9.
Dennis, who earned his spot in the team after an impressive display for the Hornets in the top-flight, was replaced in the Super Eagles’ 28-man squad on Friday by Olympiacos’ Henry Onyekuru.
This was after Watford reportedly refused to release the player, who has so far scored eight goals in the Premier League from 17 appearances and popped up with two assists.
The move irked Eguavoen, who claimed Watford had threatened Dennis to miss Afcon.
Responding to the claims after the team suffered their 13th defeat of the season against Tottenham Hotspur at Vicarage Road on Saturday, Ranieri maintained the dispute with Nigeria over the player is finished.
“I think Nigeria have to speak to the [Watford] board and not the manager. I am the manager, the player stays here, I’m happy and for me, it is finished,” the 70-year-old Italian manager told reporters as quoted by Daily Mail.
“Maybe disappointed, all the players want to go to play for their national team, but also want to stay here – a little bit disappointed, a little bit happy to stay here.”
