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According to The Athletic, Dean Henderson is set to challenge David de Gea's supremacy in the Old Trafford goal upon the Englishman's return from Sheffield United. The Spaniard penned a new five-year extension with Manchester United but has come under immense criticism of late after a string of high-profile errors directly leading to goals and, as a consequence, dropped points.
The Englishman, on the other hand, had a spectacular season in the Championship last year with the Blades, recording 21 clean sheets over 46 games and conceding just 21 goals in the process while on loan from United. This season, Henderson has been pivotal to Sheffield's push for a finish in the top half of the table and has managed to keep 7 clean sheets in his 20 appearances, conceding 18 goals and committing just the one error leading to a goal. Such a significant season so far has not gone unnoticed as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has reportedly been impressed with his performances.
De Gea is more often than not seen as the saving grace of United's questionable defence, but the former Atletico Madrid keeper has had a dismal season so far, much like the rest of his colleagues. The Spanish keeper has managed just 3 clean sheets this season in 21 attempts, conceding 25 goals in the process and committing 2 errors leading to goal.
The report states that Henderson is not just seen as a deputy to de Gea but also someone to challenge the Spaniard's untouchable status in the Red Devils' starting XI. Current deputy Sergio Romero's age and recurring knee injuries have been cited as the reasons for Henderson's potential shot at fulfilling his dream of playing for his boyhood club.
Should the Englishman come back and stay with Solskjaer's side, the pressure on de Gea to be at his very best would increase significantly as Henderson could potentially be a long-term solution, as opposed to the Argentine, who is more than happy to play second-fiddle to the first choice keeper.
