Ten Hag makes first Man Utd transfer decision
Suraj Radia
- Updated: 19 May 2022 19:26 BST
- 3 min read
Erik Ten Hag has already begun shaping his squad ahead of his arrival at Manchester United, with the incoming manager giving the green light for goalkeeper Dean Henderson to join Newcastle.
Ten Hag arrived in the country to following the conclusion of Ajax’s season and will watch his new side’s final game against Crystal Palace while undergoing transfer talks with United club officials.
The Dutchman’s first decision has been to sanction the departure of Henderson and, in turn, retain the faith in current number one David De Gea.
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Henderson has travelled to Newcastle for talks with a rumoured season-long loan said to be the priority, although a permanent deal has not yet been ruled out.
Man Utd to keep De Gea over Henderson?
Henderson was close to joining Newcastle in January however the deal collapsed due to Magpies keeper Martin Dubravka rejecting the move to Old Trafford in a swap deal.
However, the club have still identified Henderson as their main goalkeeping target and have been quick to move for the England international.
Henderson was on the verge of ousting De Gea as first-choice keeper having made 26 appearances last season in all competitions.
But the 25-year-old has only featured three times for United this campaign, all in cup competitions, and is desperate for first team football ahead of the World Cup in December.
🧤 Dean Henderson is averaging 2.5 goals conceded per game against Newcastle. Of all 52 teams he has 2+ times in his career, that is the worst return
— WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) May 19, 2022
With De Gea, 31, entering the final year of his contract, United are reluctant to permanently sell Henderson, although a deal could be struck for the right price.
De Gea has made the second-most amount of saves in the Premier League this season and has shown glimpses of a return to form, prompting Ten Hag to resist the urge to replace him.
United currently have Tom Heaton and Lee Grant as backups, simplifying the departure of Henderson and freeing up a significant amount from the club’s wage budget.
