Why Chelsea must avoid signing wantaway Man Utd star this summer

Cameron Smith

• Updated: 27 Mar 2023 15:50 BST
• 3 min read

Chelsea are reportedly eyeing up a move for wantaway Manchester United star Dean Henderson as they look to sign a new goalkeeper ahead of next season.

Henderson, 26, is currently on loan at fellow Premier League side Nottingham Forest, with his parent club favouring Spanish shot-stopper David de Gea in between the sticks.

With his contract at Old Trafford not set to expire until 2025, Henderson could be required to force an exit this summer if he wants to find more regular game time.

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Several top flight clubs have previously been linked with a move, such as Leicester City, but Chelsea have now emerged as another potential destination for the Englishman.

According to Football Insider, the West London club have already shown interest in the 26-year-old, with fellow London club Tottenham Hotspur also keen.

Kepa Arrizabalaga has been Chelsea's number one for the majority of this campaign, with Edouard Mendy struggling for form and fitness since Graham Potter was appointed in September.

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However, a new goalkeeper is reportedly wanted this summer, with Kepa still prone to mistakes. But Henderson is not the answer.

Why Chelsea should avoid Henderson

While the former Sheffield United loanee has shown glimpses of brilliance during his senior career so far, he's ultimately failed to live up to his potential.

His spell at Bramall Lane was superb, but he has been unable to break into the Man Utd side on a regular basis, despite the wobbly form displayed by the aforementioned De Gea.

He's been deemed not good enough by Man Utd, so Chelsea should take the hint and stay clear of the 'keeper.

Henderson has underwhelmed at Nottingham Forest this season. According to post-shot xG, the Englishman should've conceded 4.1 goals fewer than he has in the Premier League this campaign, which shows his form has not been up to scratch.

That tally is the joint-fifth worst in the division, while Chelsea's current number one, Kepa, ranks second in the league for that metric. He has conceded 5.3 less goals than xG suggests he should've done - a massive overperformance from the Spain international.

Chelsea have also been linked with moves for Brentford's David Raya and Leeds United's Illan Meslier as they look to solve their goalkeeper crisis.