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David de Gea’s departure means that after 12 years, Manchester United are sure to have a new No 1 between the goalposts but it’s not clear who will it be.
Manchester Evening News reports Erik ten Hag saying that Dean Henderson could start the season in goal for the club if a new goalkeeper isn’t signed.
It corroborates a report by The Daily Mail that in case a fee isn’t agreed for Andre Onana, the first-choice goalkeeping target, the door remains open for Henderson to settle back into the team.
Henderson infamously demanded a move away from the club last season before Ten Hag could even take training so that the manager wouldn’t want to keep him.
Then, an interview where he called out the club for broken promises meant that his future at Old Trafford was hanging by a thread.
Further reports of United advancing in their talks for Inter Milan’s Onana were meant to be the final nail in the coffin for Henderson’s United career.
However, now, with negotiations for the Cameroonian hitting a snag, the ever-pragmatic Ten Hag appears to have re-opened the door for Henderson.
It was reported earlier that he would stay at United only if he was guaranteed the No 1 spot.
In the absence of a new keeper, he would become No 1 by default as Tom Heaton is too old to be considered while Matej Kovar is too inexperienced.
It is not the first time Ten Hag’s pragmatic side has come to the fore. The Dutchman even had a frosty relationship with Onana near the end of the latter’s time at Ajax but he has been the key driving force behind a deal for him now.
United fans likely wouldn’t take kindly to the news because Henderson has shown to be disrespectful to the club in the past, and Onana represents an upgrade due to his pedigree in Europe.
For now, it remains a waiting game in the deal for Onana and the potential domino effect it will have on the future of many players, at United and beyond.
