Report: Borussia Dortmund in the Race for Manchester United Goalkeeper Dean Henderson

With both Marwin Hitz and Roman Bürki struggling down the stretch of the 2020-21 season, there are dozens of transfer rumors regarding various goalkeepers that Borussia Dortmund may or may not be pursuing to take over in the summer. Earlier today, a new name emerged. According to Sky Sports, Dortmund are one of the top teams interested in signing 23-year-old Manchester United goalkeeper Dean Henderson.

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Dean Henderson is one of the most promising. He first gained significant attention as the main goalkeeper for Sheffield United at only 22 years old, when the club surged to ninth place unexpectedly following their promotion to the Premier League. In that full season, Henderson made 40 appearance for Sheffield United, of which 39 were starts. Across the FA Cup and Premier League, he conceded 37 goals on 38.2 PSxG (see Paul’s recent series for further explanation).

The only problem was that upon his return to Manchester United, Henderson was relegated to backup duties behind David De Gea, one of the best keepers in the world. Henderson wanted to take over as Manchester United’s top keeper, and as Sky Sports reported, he’s unsatisfied with his lack of minutes and may press for a transfer. He’s only recently signed a £120,000-per-week contract, so it’s possible that BVB would bring him in on loan for a few years in lieu of dishing out a significant transfer fee on a permanent keeper. Doing so would give time for BVB to find a more permanent solution, or at the very least to allow Luca Unbehaun, Dortmund’s most promising goalkeeping prospect, to develop.

According to the report, BVB may have to compete with Tottenham Hotspur to woo Henderson to their services. Tottenham’s star keeper Hugo Lloris is in the final year of his contract, and there’s a possibility that he will leave in the summer, leaving Spurs with a massive gap at that position. I’m sure they won’t be the only one. Very few goalkeepers can be a club’s number one at just 22 years old, so Henderson will have no shortage of suitors. BVB will need to offer him significant minutes, and preferably a spot in the Champions League, to convince him to leave England.