Rijo Sam Daniel
Newcastle United do not want to pursue Manchester United star, Dean Henderson
According to The Telegraph (Subscription Required), Newcastle United have no intentions to pursue Manchester United star Dean Henderson in the upcoming summer transfer window. They have been heavily linked with a move for the shot-stopper in recent weeks, but it seems that there is no weight to it after all.
Earlier, it was claimed that Newcastle agreed to personal terms with Henderson, and his signing was set to be announced shortly. But those at St. James’ Park have firmly shut down such talks and conveyed that they will not target the keeper, in any case, this summer despite being an admirer of the 25-year-old’s qualities.
The Magpies’ current stance is down to their priority lying elsewhere at this moment as they have other areas in the squad that need to be strengthened. They have discussed bringing in a goalkeeper, but it is unlikely that they will change their decision as their focus is to reinforce the team in other positions.
What’s next for Henderson?
The England international saw himself fall down the pecking order under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick last season due to David de Gea’s rise in form. The former failed to get back his spot from the number one choice, which has seen him get linked with a move elsewhere.
That being said, there have been increasing calls within the fanbase that Henderson should start ahead of de Gea due to his superior overall abilities. Recently, Spain national team manager Luis Enrique suggested that his decision to omit de Gea is down to his inability to dominate aerial duels and poor technical abilities on the ball.
Since then, De Gea’s starting spot has been a point of discussion among the supporters. Goalkeepers are more involved in the build-up, especially at top clubs in modern-day football, which seriously gives Henderson some genuine shouts to pip the Spaniard for the number one role.
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While de Gea is excellent in his shot-stopping abilities, his on the ball skills and hesitance to impose himself during aerial battles can rightfully be questioned. Henderson is a much better player overall in that regard, and perhaps he could have a more prominent role under Erik ten Hag.
After all, those who have watched ten Hag’s Ajax would know that the goalkeeper is heavily involved in the build-up play, which is not something that is associated with de Gea. Unless we see some drastic improvements, perhaps Henderson should be the one to take over the mantle moving forward.
