Manchester United are reportedly considering the prospect of entering a swap deal with Newcastle United involving Dean Henderson and Karl Darlow.
According to Manchester Evening News, Manchester United are seriously considering the prospect of signing Newcastle United goalkeeper Karl Darlow in the summer as a replacement for Dean Henderson, who is keen on an exit.
Henderson endured a torrid 2021/22 campaign as he struggled for game-time, with David de Gea being the undisputed starter between the sticks. The 25-year-old pushed for an exit in the January window, but a late move to Newcastle collapsed while Watford, too, failed with an attempt to land him.
However, with de Gea’s status as the No. 1 unlikely to change, Henderson remains intent on an exit this summer. And Newcastle United have emerged as a potential destination for the England star as Eddie Howe is seeking to add a quality player to his goalkeeping department who can replace the current first-choice custodian Martin Dubravka.
Manchester United have slapped a £40 million valuation on their academy graduate. And while that should not be an issue for Newcastle, they have proposed a possible swap deal involving their second-choice stopper, Karl Darlow. The 31-year-old Englishman has been at St James’ Park since 2014 when he arrived on loan from Nottingham Forest before his move was made permanent a year later.
Darlow has spent almost his entire career at Newcastle as a backup goalkeeper and has made 99 appearances for the Tynesiders thus far, managing 25 clean sheets. The 31-year-old played just eight times during the 2021/22 campaign when Dubravka was unavailable, letting in 15 goals.
While he might not be the biggest name around, Manchester United are considering the prospect of bringing him in to replace Henderson, who is keen on signing for Newcastle United. It is unlikely to be a direct swap deal, with the Magpies likely to pay some transfer fee apart from sending Darlow the other way.
However, Darlow is not the only player Manchester United are looking at, with Watford’s Daniel Bachmann also under consideration by the Red Devils’ staff. At the same time, there are also thoughts about promoting veteran goalkeeper Tom Heaton, who joined the club last summer, to the second-choice position.
So, it will be interesting to see which way Manchester United decide to go. But, as things stand, Henderson’s time at Old Trafford could be coming to an end this summer.
