What does Man Utd's interest in Meslier mean for Henderson and De Gea's future?

Stefan Bienkowski

• 16 Dec 2021 17:56 GMT
• 3 min read

Manchester United are reportedly keen on upgrading their goalkeeping options next season by signing Leeds United shot-stopper Illan Meslier.

According to the Daily Mail, the Old Trafford side have identified the 21-year-old keeper as the best young talent in the country between the posts.

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As such, the club have already dispatched goalkeeping scout Tony Coton to keep tabs on the Leeds prospect with the intention of making a bid in the summer.

So what would signing Meslier mean for Man Utd’s current crop of keepers and who could it force out of the club in the summer?

Is he a replacement for Henderson?

According to the English newspaper, Meslier is likely to be signed as a replacement for Dean Henderson next season.

Despite picking up some notable game time at Man Utd last season, the 24-year-old shot-stopper has struggled to dislodge David De Gea from the No.1 spot in the team and has now made it clear that he wants to leave the club.

As such, Meslier would likely make the move to Man Utd with the understanding that he will be the club’s second-choice keeper for the time being.

Could this mean De Gea is leaving?

While it seems as though Henderson will be the main victim to Man Utd signing Meslier, that doesn’t mean De Gea is entirely safe either.

The Spanish shot-stopper has just 18 months left on his contract at Old Trafford and unless there are indications that he’s happy to commit his future to the club between now and the end of the season, Man Utd could look to Meslier as a more short-term answer to their problems.

However, that would require some serious interest from Real Madrid or other clubs to entice De Gea away from Man Utd and demand a serious rethink of the club’s goalkeeping situation.