Dean Henderson is demanding Manchester United to offer him a first-choice goalkeeping role amid interest from Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur.
According to Manchester Evening News, Dean Henderson could be facing an uncertain future at Old Trafford this summer. The Manchester United goalkeeper, currently on loan at Sheffield United, is negotiating a new deal with the club, with his current contract set to expire in 2022.
Manchester United do have an option to extend that contract till 2023. In addition, they are willing to offer an improved deal, with an opportunity to earn a sizable wage. However, the goalkeeper will only commit his long-term future at Old Trafford if the Premier League giants are willing to make him their number one choice in between the sticks.
As a result, Chelsea are now closely monitoring Henderson’s situation at the moment. They are also joined by Tottenham Hotspur, with Jose Mourinho believed to be a keen admirer of the 23-year-old.
It comes as no surprise at all given the fact that Henderson has emerged as one of the best performing goalkeepers in the Premier League this campaign.
The 23-year-old has already kept an impressive 11 clean sheets in 29 matches and his contributions in between the sticks have been critical in helping Sheffield United boast one of the best defensive records in the league so far. In fact, only league leaders Liverpool (21) have conceded fewer goals than the Blades (28) so far this term.
From an individual level, only Alisson (81%), Bernd Leno (77%) and Kasper Schmeichel (77%) have retained a better save percentage than Henderson (76%), thus indicating the success he has had at Sheffield United.
Therefore, the 23-year-old could indeed be a useful addition to a Chelsea side, who were keen on the services of Borussia Dortmund’s Roman Burki. The Blues are apparently keen on replacing Kepa Arrizabalaga, although it remains to be seen whether they can afford a new goalkeeper following the arrivals of Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner.
Meanwhile, Tottenham are also in need of reinforcements in the goalkeeping department. Long-time shot-stopper Hugo Lloris’ decline has been evident over the past couple of years while Paulo Gazzaniga is yet to impress the onlookers. Henderson, in that regard, should be an ideal replacement for the ageing Frenchman.
For Manchester United, however, things are rather uncertain at the moment. David de Gea, while undoubtedly being one of the best goalkeepers in the world, has struggled with consistency in recent years. The former Atletico Madrid man had a poor game against Tottenham Hotspur last week.
So, it might not necessarily be a bad idea to offload the Spaniard, who is one of the top earners at the club, this summer and make Henderson the first-choice keeper next season.
In the meantime, however, the Red Devils have other worries as they host Sheffield United in the Premier League on Wednesday. Unfortunately, or perhaps, fortunately, Henderson will not be available, as he is ineligible to feature against his parent club.
