Newcastle United are interested in a deal for Dean Henderson, who remains keen to leave Manchester United in January due to a lack of game-time.
According to Daily Mail, Newcastle will explore the idea of signing Dean Henderson in the January window after sensing the goalkeeper’s unhappiness at his situation at Manchester United.
Dean Henderson finished the previous campaign as one of Manchester United’s most improved stars after playing in 26 games across all competitions. The season before that, he excelled on loan at Sheffield United, and the Red Devils immediately handed him a new contract worth £120,000-a-week.
The keeper mainly benefitted from David de Gea’s alarming dip in form as the Spaniard missed major parts of the previous season. Henderson’s performances also saw Gareth Southgate call him up regularly to be Jordan Pickford’s understudy. After being selected for the Euro 2020 squad, he pulled out with a hip problem.
Since the new season began, Henderson tested positive for Covid-19, which led him to miss the starting games for club and country. While he has not been selected into Southgate’s England squad in the previous three international rounds, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has picked him just once throughout this season for a cup tie.
Meanwhile, De Gea regaining his form hasn’t helped matters, with the Spaniard now firmly Solskjaer’s first-choice between the stick. With Henderson not expected to dislodge the current Manchester United no.1 anytime soon, the 24-year-old is angling a move away at the earliest to play regularly.
Newcastle United, who are expected to be one of the big spenders in the upcoming window, are willing to explore the idea of signing Henderson. The Magpies recently appointed Eddie Howe as their new manager, and will soon lay plans to identify and sign specific players.
While Newcastle do not visibly have problems in goal, the idea of Henderson playing for them is surely an enticing one. The Manchester United keeper is certainly better than their current options in terms of quality, but he certainly will be a difficult acquisition to pull off in the January window.
Manchester United may prefer de Gea between the sticks; they remain concerned over his fitness or a possible dip in form. In either scenario, Henderson represents a reliable backup, and hence the club may not want to lose him in January.
Newcastle will be prepared to pay a reasonable transfer fee and agree to the keeper’s salary demands. In any case, if the signing materialises, it would certainly be considered a coup of sorts, albeit an important one for the Magpies for their long-term planning.
