Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has done well to try and get Dean Henderson some first team action at Man United this season, but it’s clear that he’s still the back up to David de Gea for now.
There’s no doubt that Henderson has the quality to finally become the regular starter at Old Trafford, but he need sto be playing regular football to aide his development.
A report from Mundo Deportivo has suggested that Henderson will be heading back out on loan in January, so here’s a look at three clubs who would make sense as potential destinations:
Everton
Jordan Pickford is just too much of a loose-cannon to be trusted at the highest level, because you know that every good game is likely to be off-set by an absolute clanger in the next.
This would be an interesting situation from an England point of view too, with Gareth Southgate recently indicating that he didn’t see any credible challengers to Pickford for the number 1 jersey just now.
That would change if Henderson came in to take Pickford’s place at club level, and it would make sense when you consider that Robin Olsen looks like nothing more than a rotation option.
Henderson has demonstrated that he’s a trusty keeper who’s good with his feet and he’s capable of making the saves you don’t expect, but this would also come with a step up in pressure.
Sheffield United went into last season with no expectation and that allowed the players to relax, but he’ll come under a lot more scrutiny at Goodison Park.
It could even make sense to make this an 18 month deal if Solskjaer has no plans to drop de Gea next season, and it looks like the most suitable Premier League option for Henderson.
Celtic
This will be controversial for some because there’s a legitimate argument that he’s not going to be playing at a level which will improve him, but the Scottish Premiership is better than most fans think, while this would be a major test of Henderson’s character to deliver under severe pressure.
Celtic are in a bit of a mess just now and they’ve not managed to replace Fraser Forster at all, so any keeper is going to get plenty of work behind a pretty mediocre defence.
This is a massive season for Celtic because they have the chance to clinch their 10th straight Premiership title, and the fans will never forgive them if they don’t manage to get it over the line.
Rangers are currently ahead in the league and they frankly look like a more talented and organised team, so Celtic need to make some crucial signings in January to turn this team around.
Advancing in the Europa League looks very unlikely after getting a hiding at home to Sparta Prague, but there’s still an outside chance that they could offer Henderson some European football too.
The main attraction here for Man United would be seeing how Henderson reacts when he’s placed in a situation where failing to win every game and trophy is seen as a catastrophe, so it could be a great learning curve for him in terms of pressure and personal growth.
RB Leipzig
The German side would be the left-field option here, but they’ve never been shy about taking a young prospect on loan from a Premier League side and their current first choice Peter Gulacsi is one of the weak points in the team.
It’s always a good idea for a player to go abroad and develop in a different style and culture, while Henderson would also improve as a player if he was able to play some regular minutes in the Bundesliga.
It could also be a wise idea for United to develop a good relationship with the German side if they wanted to pursue someone like Dayot Upamecano in the future, so this would make sense for both sides if there was any interest.