Crystal Palace are said to be orchestrating a plan to recruit Manchester United’s goalkeeper, Dean Henderson.
The English international’s next step remains unclear after wrapping up his latest loan term with Nottingham Forest. During this stint, he impressively registered six clean sheets in 20 appearances.
His notable performances played a part in ensuring Steve Cooper’s side retained their Premier League status. Still, a thigh injury saw him replaced by Paris Saint-Germain’s loaned player, Keylor Navas, towards the season’s close.
While Forest exhibited keen interest in securing Henderson permanently, unsuccessful negotiations led them to opt for former Arsenal goalkeeper, Matt Turner.
Though Cooper, the head coach of the Tricky Trees, remains interested in Henderson to rival Turner, a full-time switch to the City Ground currently seems improbable.
Nonetheless, a fresh opportunity may present itself to Henderson, with reports from The Sun suggesting Palace’s intent to welcome the 26-year-old to Selhurst Park.
With the impending departure of Vicente Guaita on the horizon, Roy Hodgson’s team is left with a gap that Sam Johnstone might find challenging to fill alone.
Rumour has it that Manchester United might be open to lending out Henderson with a mandatory purchase clause set for 2024. Yet, a direct purchase right now seems unlikely for the Eagles.
It’s this exact buyout condition that reportedly led to discussions stalling with Forest. Manchester United’s firm stance was either an immediate cash buy this summer or a compulsory permanent transfer after he’d featured in a certain number of matches for Forest.
Still, Palace remains hopeful, striving to carve out a mutually beneficial deal. However, they’re also eyeing Southampton’s Alex McCarthy and Leicester City’s Daniel Iversen as possible alternatives.
Henderson, a part of Manchester United since 2011, has made only 29 appearances for the senior team, achieving 13 clean sheets in all competitions.
Before integrating into the primary squad, he had spells at Stockport County, Grimsby Town, Shrewsbury Town, and Sheffield United, even playing a pivotal role in Sheffield United’s promotion to the Premier League in 2019.
Henderson briefly overshadowed David de Gea in the 2020-21 timeframe. However, the latter soon reclaimed his leading role, and Henderson hasn’t represented the Red Devils post-February 2022.
Having bounced back from his injury, Henderson resumed his substitute position for Manchester United’s initial two Premier League fixtures this season against Wolverhampton Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur, playing backup to Andre Onana.
Following a 2-0 defeat to Tottenham recently, with goals credited to Pape Sarr and an own goal by Lisandro Martinez, Manchester United are eager to bounce back when they face Henderson’s ex-team, Forest, in the upcoming weekend fixture at Old Trafford.
