Dean Henderson: Which clubs could make loan move for Man Utd goalkeeper?

Paul Macdonald

• Updated: 20 May 2021 11:26 BST
• 3 min read

Manchester United goalkeeper Dean Henderson is reportedly eager to leave the club on loan in the January transfer window.

Henderson, 23, signed a new contract until 2025 at Old Trafford in August after seeing his stock rise in two impressive seasons with Sheffield United.

That prompted an intriguing battle between him and under-pressure David de Gea for the number one spot with United.

But Spain international De Gea has started all eight Premier League matches so far.

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While Henderson has made two appearances in the Carabao Cup and another in the Champions League, he is eager for more game time.

Having made his debut for England against Republic of Ireland in the international break, a place in the squad for next summer’s Euro 2020 is a key target for Henderson.

That is said to be crucial to his preference of another temporary switch away from United, who were recently linked with Real Madrid defender Raphael Varane.

While it is no sure thing that United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer would sanction a move, which clubs should be in the market for Henderson?

Leeds United

Prior to Leeds’ 0-0 home draw against Arsenal on Sunday, they had conceded 17 goals from eight Premier League matches after promotion.

Illan Meslier is the current Leeds number one and, per FootballCritic’s statistical model, the young Frenchman ranks just 14th of the 20 top-flight goalkeepers to play at least five games this season with a 6.3 rating.

He has conceded 1.9 goals P90 this season, a record which is better than only one other qualifying keeper, West Brom’s Sam Johnstone (2.0).

Former Real Madrid keeper Kiko Casilla is an experienced option on the bench, but Henderson could provide an upgrade on both Leeds keepers after his impact for another promoted side last season.

Brighton and Hove Albion

Brighton goalkeeper Mat Ryan ranks 20th in the Premier League with an average rating of 6.0 this season.

Ryan is only making 1.4 saves P90, bottom of all keepers to have played at least 500 minutes.

Unlike Leeds, Brighton do not have an experienced understudy with Robert Sanchez struggling in his lone Premier League appearance at Tottenham this season.

With only nine points from nine games in the top flight, signing Dean Henderson would be a positive move for Brighton.

Other options for Dean Henderson

A United stay would see Henderson continue to put pressure on De Gea, who like many high-profile figures in the squad is operating under a short leash with the club struggling to contend.

Along with Leeds and Brighton, Championship side Bournemouth have also been linked with Henderson, though a move to the second tier would be a tough sell for the rising star.

While more unlikely than a switch to Leeds or Brighton, Everton’s issues at the goalkeeper position with Jordan Pickford – a potential rival for Henderson in the England reckoning – have been well documented. They tried to sign his United team-mate Sergio Romero in the summer.