Tottenham tracking Dean Henderson amidst “frustration” at Manchester United

You say it’s too early for a transfer window rumor? Oh, my sweet summer child, it’s never too late. And this one’s a doozy. The Manchester Evening News is reporting that Manchester United backup keeper Dean Henderson is “frustrated” at his situation in the pecking order at United and could force a move out of the club this summer if he’s not elevated to first choice.

Why is that important on a Spurs blog? Because Tottenham was specifically mentioned as one of the clubs that would be interested in signing him should he desire a move, along with Chelsea and West Ham.

Hugo Lloris has been in the Tottenham discourse lately for all the wrong reasons lately, after a bad week in which he made some high profile mistakes while between the sticks. It’s reignited the debate about Hugo’s future — after nine years at the club, Spurs’ club captain is now 34 and his contract expires in June, 2022. It seems like if Hugo wants a change of scenery and the club are ready for a change, this coming summer is the best time to part ways while Spurs can still get a fee for his services.

Henderson, 23, would be an absolutely ideal replacement for Hugo, should he leave. You can make a pretty strong argument that Henderson’s play in goal while on loan was one of the primary reasons Sheffield United not only stayed up but finished ninth in the table last season. He’s young, talented, and English — an almost ideal fit for Tottenham as a new long-term #1.

We are, of course, a long way from that happening, and there are good reasons to be skeptical. For starters, this move would require that Henderson first force a move out of the club, and that United would be willing to sell to Spurs — something that hasn’t happened much historically. Henderson would also be pretty expensive, with some reports suggesting he could cost as much as £40m or more. Henderson is also a United academy graduate, and that could also be a factor in whether or not United would sanction a sale to anyone. There’s also a non-zero chance that United would actually consider dumping De Gea, who’s on wages of £375k/wk, for Henderson, but selling De Gea could be complicated due to COVID and the finances of the clubs that would normally be interested in someone like him.

So this isn’t a rumor more than a tantalizing possibility, but reports like this are fun to dream on. Henderson as Tottenham’s new #1 would tick all the boxes of an outstanding summer signing, even if it means moving on from Hugo, our long time keeper and an outstanding servant of the club.