Manchester United goalkeeper Dean Henderson has impressed in his maiden Premier League campaign with Sheffield United on loan and that sees the club within two points off a potential Champions League spot with a game in hand.
He has already kept 10 clean sheets for the Blades this term and his displays have put himself in contention to make his England debut in the near future. Still, Henderson will be aiming for a permanent goalkeeping role next season after successive loan spells at Bramall Lane.
Here are three clubs where Henderson could cement his long-term future..
Sheffield United: The Blades have directly benefited from Henderson’s performances over the past one-and-a-half seasons where they have sealed their promotion from the Championship to the top-flight. The shot-stopper has made the odd goalkeeping error but the majority of the times, he has been efficient in dealing with the opposition threat. Henderson recently came up with his best performance of the season as he made a stunning triple save from point-blank range in the 1-0 win over Norwich City. With their top-flight status almost secured, Sheffield should definitely consider meeting the reported £30m price tag for the goalkeeper but anything above that, they may be forced to look elsewhere.
Chelsea: The west London club have utilised Kepa Arrizabalaga as the first-choice goalkeeper since the beginning of last season. The Spain international has struggled to find the consistency in his displays in the current campaign and his distribution and shot-stopping abilities have come under scrutiny. Kepa has impressed with clean sheets against Liverpool and Everton this month but prior to that, he was dropped for six straight games in all competitions. The 25-year-old’s position remains safe for the moment but a change could be on the cards, suppose there is a dip in his performance levels during the final two months of the season.
Manchester United: Obviously Henderson will want the assurance of regular first-team football next season and there could be the possibility of him replacing David de Gea as United’s number one. De Gea only signed a fresh long-term deal earlier this season but his position has come under the radar with a couple of goalkeeping blunders against Watford and Everton. The 29-year-old did not experience the best of endings to the previous campaign where he was susceptible to mistakes and many pointed out that he may be concerned about his contract. That has been sorted out with the renewal this season and just like Kepa, De Gea can’t afford to drop-off with the impressive Henderson waiting in the wings.