Tottenham Interested in Signing Dean Henderson to Replace Hugo Lloris

Dean Henderson, Newcastle, Nottingham Forest, Tottenham

According to fresh reports in England, Tottenham Hotspur are interested in signing Manchester United on-loan keeper Dean Henderson. The North London club are in the market for a new shot-stopper to take over from Hugo Lloris.

Dean Henderson is currently on loan with Premier League side Nottingham Forest. The 26-year-old has played 20 games for the relegation-threatened side this season and has managed to make 57 saves and affect 6 clean sheets so far (stats via fbref).

The English shot-stopper will return to Old Trafford at the end of the season as the Red Devils refused to include an option-to-purchase clause in the loan deal. The on-loan keeper has a contract with the Manchester club until 2025.

According to ESPN, Tottenham are considering signing Dean Henderson this summer as a permanent replacement for Hugo Lloris. Spurs are also monitoring Jordan Pickford as an option in case Everton get relegated. Former Arsenal man Emiliano Martinez is also an option to replace the World Cup winner.

Approaching the peak of his career, Henderson will be looking for a team where he can secure regular minutes. The former Sheffield United loanee is looking to break into the England squad and compete for regular minutes. With the Euro 2024 not too far away, the keeper will want to play regular football for a top-flight team right until the end of next season.

🚨 NEW:

Tottenham are interested in signing Dean Henderson in the summer if Manchester United decide to let him leave. @RobDawsonESPN #MUFC pic.twitter.com/j4Vqr7iMzW

— UtdPlug (@UtdPlug) March 22, 2023

This may not be possible at Manchester United. The Red Devils have been trying to extend David de Gea’s contract in recent weeks. GOAL reported that the Spaniard rejected the first offer as it included a pay cut. He spoke out on his “love” for the club, and it is most likely that he will eventually reach an agreement for a new deal.

The 32-year-old shot-stopper has been United’s undisputable #1 for over a decade now. This has practically blocked all opportunities for any second keeper, including Sergio Romero, Martin Dubravka, and even Dean Henderson himself in the past.

Henderson even criticized his treatment at Old Trafford after making just 3 senior appearances in the 2021-22 season. In an interview with talkSPORT, the shot-stopper said:

“To be quite honest with you, it’s probably been the toughest 12 months of my career. It’s been tough, it’s been hard and I’m so happy I’ve come out the other end of it now.”

“The conversation I had, coming out of the Euros squad (with England), was that you’re coming back here (to United) to be the No 1 goalkeeper. I got Covid, then unfortunately no-one followed through with anything they told me.”

“It’s frustrating as well, because I turned so many good loans down last summer for that reason and they wouldn’t let me go. To sit there and waste 12 months is criminal, really, at my age. I was fuming.”

The Englishman also admitted he refused to speak to or train under Erik ten Hag to force a loan move:

‘No. I didn’t want him to see me in training. Because I knew that he probably wanted to keep me. So I told the hierarchy that I need to play football, I don’t want to be here and play second fiddle.’

A move to a top-6 club with the guarantee of regular minutes could entice the 26-year-old keeper this summer. Manchester United would also struggle to hold onto the goalie if David de Gea’s contract extension goes through.

Manchester United are optimistic that Dean Henderson could be used as a bargaining chip to prise away Harry Kane from Tottenham. The Three Lions skipper is expected to cost over 100 million this summer. A player-plus-cash deal could reduce the transfer bill and ease negotiations between the clubs.

Verdict

With genuine interest from various clubs, Manchester United can seriously weigh a transfer for the English keeper. The 26-year-old could be retained at Old Trafford if David de Gea fails to extend his contract.

However, a transfer to Tottenham would guarantee regular playing time and exposure for Dean Henderson. It would also give the Red Devils some additional budget to bolster other positions in the squad.

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