Goalkeepers David de Gea and Dean Henderson are both expected to stay at Manchester United this summer, despite competition in minutes that will probably upset at least one of them.
De Gea has been United’s starting goalkeeper for ten years now but has been guilty of more and more falls in form recently, prompting some fans to call 24-year-old Henderson to take his place on the team.
Both Henderson and De Gea expect to be starting / RICHARD HEATHCOTE / Getty Images
Henderson hoped it would happen last year but spent most of the campaign on the bench. He made 13 Premier League appearances and looked to have won the battle when the season ended, just because Ole Gunnar Solskjär would bring De Gea back this week and chop and switch between the two.
It’s a situation that does not really work for anyone. De Gea’s £ 375,000 a week salary is far too high for him to be anything other than an undisputed starter, while Henderson has made it clear he does not want to spend another season stagnating on the sidelines.
A departure for one of the goalkeepers felt imminent, but according to The Athletic, both are expected to stay at the club during the new season.
De Gea has admitted to Solskjaer that he wants to stay at the club to prove himself, while United officials have also been busy refusing offers to take Henderson on loan. So far, there are no plans to release any of them.
If this was not messy enough, Tom Heaton has now been thrown into the mix. The 35-year-old returned to his boys’ club on a free transfer after leaving Aston Villa and thinks that a place in the first team is not an unrealistic dream for him.
Heaton impressed in United’s first left-handed game, a 2-1 win over Derby County on Sunday, after which Solskjaer admitted that the veteran was brought in as a real competition for the other goalkeepers.
First 45 ✅ Felt Great to put the shirt back on ☀️ # MUFC pic.twitter.com/zVWP9MjPVZ
– Tom Heaton (@TomHeatonGK) July 18, 2021
“Tom was very positive,” said the boss. “He is here to give the others a little challenge as well. He has behaved so well throughout his career. I was just at the end of my career when he came up.
“I’m so glad we have him. Tom wants to play. He has been unlucky with the injury last year. I think he would have been in the England squad if not. He has the ambitions. ”
