Chelsea and AC Milan are reportedly on red alert as the Manchester United goalkeeper faces an uncertain future at Old Trafford.
According to Sky Sports, Chelsea have stepped up their interest in Dean Henderson, as the recent return of David de Gea has put question marks over the youngster’s future at Old Trafford. It seems Manchester United are not yet decided between the two goalkeepers, leading to an uncertain couple of months for both of them.
It has also put a number of clubs on red alert, as they look to try and prise Henderson away from Old Trafford. Borussia Dortmund were credited with a shock interest in the Englishman earlier this year, but it appears the Bundesliga giants could face stiff competition from Chelsea and AC Milan, in the pursuit of the United ‘keeper.
A product of the Manchester United youth academy, Henderson has made it clear that he wants to leave Old Trafford if he is not installed as the number one goalkeeper next season. The Englishman was even starting ahead of de Gea from the start of March, filling in for the Spaniard who was sanctioned a break.
Henderson, as a result, notched up eight back-to-back league appearances, during which Manchester United secured six wins and remained unbeaten. In recent weeks, however, de Gea has been reinstated as the number one and is a favourite to start in the UEFA Europa League final against Villarreal later this month.
It does not bode well for Henderson, who has been identified as an ideal target for Milan in their quest to find a replacement for the departing Gianluigi Donnarumma. The Italian’s contract at San Siro expires at the end of the season, making him a free agent this summer. He has already been linked with a number of clubs including Manchester United and Chelsea.
Among them, Chelsea are also interested in Henderson as they look to not only replace Kepa Arrizabalaga but provide competition for Edouard Mendy. The 24-year-old already has a considerable amount of experience in the Premier League, though it remains to be seen whether Manchester United will be open to offloading their prized asset to a direct rival this summer.
In fact, it won’t be surprising to see the Red Devils sticking with Henderson in the end, given how much faith Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has put on young players during his spell at Old Trafford so far. Moreover, de Gea’s exorbitant wages have created financial problems for Manchester United in these tough times and at the end of the day, it could be the Spaniard heading towards the exit door this summer.