Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has stressed that Dean Henderson was always in his mind as a goalkeeper option.
Henderson finds himself at a career crossroads. At his boyhood club, overlooked for the No.1 spot and uncertain if he will be playing his football elsewhere this season.
Speaking to reporters ahead of tonight’s Premier League opener against Wolves, Ten Hag responded to a question about the current goalkeeper situation at the club. Tom Heaton is injured, Matej Kovar is on the verge of leaving and Nathan Bishop has signed for Championship side Sunderland.
“He was always in my mind,” Ten Hag said of Henderson, as quoted by the Manchester Evening News. “So I think we have a strong keeper group, with Onana, Henderson, Heaton.”
That leaves us with Dean Henderson as backup for Andre Onana, who is set to make his debut against Wolves at Old Trafford.
However, Henderson has faced an uncertain future at United all summer and it looks like Nottingham Forest got their keeper last week after signing Matt Turner from Arsenal.
Unless the unthinkable happens and Onana picks up an injury at the beginning of the season, United should be fine but Ten Hag should be pushing for a second choice keeper renowned for playing out from the back and keeping a high line. That’s the kind of cover we need.
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Kovar can play out from the back and all we’ll get for him is £8 million but we’d rather play Russian roulette than keep him