Goalkeeper Gives Ultimatum Amid Lack Of Opportunities At Manchester United: Problem For Solskjaer?

By Pratik Das on February 22, 2021

Dean Henderson Gives Ultimatum Amid Lack Of Opportunities (David de Gea and Dean Henderson can be seen in the picture)

Recent reports from Manchester Evening News suggest that goalkeeper Dean Henderson will seek to leave Old Trafford in the coming transfer window unless he’s guaranteed first-team football next season. The report further states that the English shot-stopper has been left ‘frustrated’ by the lack of opportunities under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and has clearly expressed his ‘dismay’ on the present situation.

Undoubtedly, the warning has left Solskjaer in a tight situation, where he has to decide if he wants to continue with his current number one or introduce Henderson as the first-choice goalkeeper next season.

Henderson’s Mouting Frustrations At The Old Trafford

The 23-year-old goalkeeper spent the last two seasons on loan at Sheffield United, keeping 32 clean sheets over the course. He played an instrumental role between the sticks in the 2018/19 season as the Blades got promoted to the Premier League, and later, in the 2019/20 season, he put up a streak of unbelievable performances as he helped his side achieve the 9^th position in the points table.

Dean Henderson’s absence seems to be one of the prime reasons behind Sheffield United’s struggle this season. While the Englishman overperformed expectations, Aaron Ramsdale has been very average in goal – securing just one clean sheet in 25 league outings.

Despite the impressive performances, Henderson has been restricted to a sporadic role since returning to Old Trafford. Having secured five clean sheets in 11 starts across all competitions this term, it’ll be fair to say that Henderson is putting up a good fight with David de Gea for the number one position. The lack of consistency from the Spaniard in recent times further strengthens his case. The United boss is certainly aware of the fact that just 12 appearances are not enough to satisfy the English goalkeeper.

Dean Henderson Gives Ultimatum Amid Lack Of Opportunities (Dean Henderson can be seen in the picture) — Dean Henderson of Manchester United clears the ball during the Carabao Cup Semi Final match between Manchester United and Manchester City at Old Trafford on January 06, 2021 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

After the 4-0 win over Real Sociedad last week, Solskjaer was left impressed by Cumbria-born shot-stopper’s abilities.

“Dean, tonight was very solid, good kicking should have had an assist for Marcus [Rashford], which is another thing we worked on today.” – Solskjaer stated in his post-match press conference.

What Should Solskjaer Do?

In June last year, the Norwegian coach stated that Dean Henderson is destined to become United’s next number one, and finally, it seems like the time has come.

A report from The Sun states that the board is set to sell one goalkeeper next summer, and David de Gea’s astronomical £375,000-a-week wages might be the first thing they should get rid of.

At 23, Dean Henderson will develop with each passing game and given his sky-high potential, Solskjaer should do everything within his reach to keep him at the club. Perhaps, a change in goal seems to be the way forward.

(Stats from WhoScored)

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Pratik Das

The youngest member of The 4th Official and an ardent Premier League fan who is basically obsessed with scouting young talents and is consumed by the idea of finding the perfect number 10.

Pratik Das

The youngest member of The 4th Official and an ardent Premier League fan who is basically obsessed with scouting young talents and is consumed by the idea of finding the perfect number 10.