Dean Henderson’s potential switch to Newcastle United on loan has been in doubt for some time.
While the Manchester United No.2 seemed cool with the idea of joining the Magpies on loan in an effort to get more game, Luke Edwards claims Newcastle won’t pursue the signing of the English keeper this summer, as per The Telegraph.
Now, it has been reported that Newcastle football director Dan Ashworth has reportedly turned his attention to Brighton and Hove Albion shot-stopper Robert Sanchez.
Writing in his GiveMeSport transfer column, transfer insider Dean Jones said: “The club’s pursuit of Manchester United’s Dean Henderson has faded at a time when new sporting director Dan Ashworth has landed at the club.
“Fresh eyes are now looking over solutions between the sticks and new-on-the-list Sanchez is highly regarded, along with Burnley’s Nick Pope.
“Momentum around Hugo Ekitike’s move from Reims has also slowed in recent days yet there remains an expectation for the deal to be completed.”
Interestingly, Sanchez is one of the three goalkeepers that gets selected ahead of David de Gea for the Spain squad. Manager Luis Enrique explained that he wants his goalkeepers to start attacks and they must dominate the aerial play.
The 24-year-old stands at a whopping 6’6 and it looks like Newcastle view him as a better option than Henderson at this moment in time.
The Red Devils have a clear preference to send Henderson on loan. They don’t want to lose him on a permanent deal because some figures at the club still believe he could replace De Gea one day.
Moreover, there are already question marks over whether De Gea will be able to perform at a high level in Ten Hag’s system, which can be very demanding on keepers.
A lot of fans still believe there are biggest problems to fix in the current transfer window.
As for Henderson, I don’t think it would be a wise decision to leave when there is still a chance he could come back a year from now as an even better player.
We shouldn’t forget that this time last year most Reds wanted him as first-choice. Then, after testing positive for COVID-19 before the season started, Henderson never got a look in.
