David de Gea comments are bad news for Dean Henderson at Manchester United

Man United goalkeeper David de Gea has suggested he wants to stay at Old Trafford beyond his current contract.

If Dean Henderson was hoping to play the waiting game to get his shot as Manchester United's No.1, he shouldn't hold his breath.

The dilemma of who should be the first-choice goalkeeper for United has been a complicated one over the last two years, with two good candidates each with their own positives and flaws vying for the spot.

Towards the end of last season, it looked as though Henderson had beaten out De Gea after a decade between the sticks. The academy graduate had impressed during two successive seasons on loan at Sheffield United and, though he was initially only selected for cup competitions, he ousted his colleague and started 10 of the last 12 Premier League fixtures.

It was surprising when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer opted to start the Spaniard in the Europa League final but his disastrous display in the penalty shootout only seemed to hinder his case. Henderson went into the summer under the impression that he would be the No.1 the following season.

But then a torrid run of luck changed those plans. Firstly, a hip injury ruled him out of the England squad for Euro 2020 before he was laid low by a particularly nasty bout of coronavirus which saw him miss all of pre-season, a time where he instead could have been solidifying his place while De Gea was given extra time off.

Upon De Gea's return, he went back into the team unopposed and took the opportunity with both hands, roaring back to his best form. Though it doesn't reflect well on United's porous backline, he has made more saves than any other goalkeeper in the Premier League this season, has gotten United out of the mire on several occasions and has been named the club's Player of the Month for the last three months running.

There has been next to no opportunity for Henderson to dislodge him this season, which has seen him limited to just three appearances.

The Cumbria native wanted to depart on loan in January but Ralf Rangnick voted an exit over fears of being left hanging dry if something was to happen to De Gea, so he was consigned to a further six months twiddling his thumbs on the bench.

If Henderson is to remain at United, and as he is contracted until 2025 he may not have a choice, he may have to continue to bide his time as De Gea doesn't look like he's going anywhere.

"Now I feel as if I'm from Manchester; I just feel like anyone else from Manchester," he told UEFA.

"Where you are loved and welcomed is your home. I've been here for many years and, obviously, anything can happen in life, in the world of football, but honestly, I don't see myself away from Manchester United."

The 31-year-old's current contract is to run until at least 2023, with the option for a further year, and he has seemed to suggest he would like to renew and stay even longer at Old Trafford.

If he keeps up his current form, and goalkeepers have been known to do so well into their late 30s, then that spells bad news for Henderson.

It's untenable for United to have two goalkeepers who want to be playing every week on their books so a solution must be found, but United must make sure they choose wisely as any decision could backfire.

A loan would seem ideal - with the likes of Ajax and Premier League clubs showing interest - but the more years he stays on United's books without playing for them increases the chances of them losing him for nothing in three years time.

United could always cash in on him and probably fetch a sizeable sum but allowing him to leave permanently runs the risk of them being left short of viable competition should De Gea's form drop again or should he suffer an injury.

There will also come a day when De Gea decides to hang up his gloves and selling Henderson means a new succession plan will have to be put in place.

The future of United's goalkeepers will be one of the first tasks the new permanent manager will have to settle on in the summer but it certainly isn't looking good for Henderson.

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