David de Gea leaving Manchester United on loan this summer has been described as ‘doable’, although it may not necessarily end his long-term future at the club if Dean Henderson fails to prove himself as number one during the 2021/22 campaign.
De Gea and Henderson shared goalkeeping duties last season, with the latter effectively taking over as first choice in the closing stages of the campaign but was notably overlooked for the Europa League final.
United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will almost certainly have to choose one or the other in the coming weeks because a repeat of trying to accommodate both isn’t a viable option.
The Old Trafford club have already seen a shake up of the goalkeeping department this summer, with Sergio Romero and Joel Castro Pereira now released after their contracts expired. Nathan Bishop, who was handed a new contract last year and is a popular member of the training squad, will also spend the coming season on loan at Mansfield.
Meanwhile, veteran third choice Lee Grant has signed a new deal, while 35-year-old former Aston Villa and Burnley stopper Tom Heaton has returned to his boyhood team as a free agent.
The Manchester Evening News calls a departure this summer for either De Gea or Henderson ‘inevitable’ and suggests it could be the latter if a ‘doable’ loan to one of a handful of Italian or Spanish clubs can be arranged. A permanent sale at this stage, with football finances the way they are and De Gea on a contract worth £375,000 per week, is unlikely.
The suggestion is also made that a loan exit doesn’t have to mean the end for De Gea after 10 years at Old Trafford. It would remain possible that a strong season elsewhere could put him back in contention to be United’s starter, especially if Henderson underwhelms in his place.
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Source : 90min