Happy miniature silly season, Manchester United fans! That is exactly what the international breaks have now become, with transfer talk taking the place of club action on the pitch. Dean Henderson had a brief window where he was the No. 1 at Old Trafford (a stretch during the back half of the 2020-21 season), but that time has long come and gone now.
While he did supplant David de Gea for a short time once, it’s clear that it is not going happen again.
Dean Henderson, 26, has also not done himself any favors last summer by running his mouth in the media about how he feels he’s been slighted either. However, he may still yet have a future with the club.
United refused to include a permanent buy option in the contract of the deal that saw Henderson go out on loan to Nottingham Forest this season. That means the England goalkeeper will be coming back this summer, and MUFC can sell him for good, or use him as part of a deal to land someone else.
Enter the Harry Kane transfer rumors, a narrative that has been around, seemingly forever.
According to ESPN, Tottenham Hotspur are interested in acquiring Henderson, and United will try to use the shot stopper has a makeweight in a deal to sign the Tottenham talisman.
As the article mentions, it will be an uphill battle, as Spurs do not want to sell him, and his transfer fee will be well into nine figures.
Kane is thought to be ready to leave though, as he wants to win trophies, and the chances of that seem to be very slim at White Hart Lane. Get ready because this summer could see a “Harry Kane- will he or won’t he join Manchester United?” saga become excruciatingly tedious.
The article also goes on to say that signing another goalkeeper is a top priority this summer for United. They want to find a new long-term successor to De Gea, and that is not going to be Henderson. ESPN that Brentford’s David Raya and Porto’s Diogo Costa.
The latter of which is also wanted by the Tottenham (who are looking at a long term replacement for Hugo Lloris) and Chelsea.
Late last fall, it was reported that Stamford Bridge was the club who had made first contact for the 23-year-old Portugese prodigy, who recently signed a new contract that took his release clause up to around £65 million (or €75m, as quoted elsewhere). We looked at this transfer narrative from the Tottenham side too, and you can view that over at this link.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
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