Edwin van der Sar, the CEO of Ajax, has replied to reports that Dean Henderson was about to quit Manchester United in pursuit of regular playing time.
The teenage goalkeeper has had a difficult start to the season, battling illnesses and injuries.
When asked about Ajax’s interest in Henderson, Van der Sar remarked to VoetbalZone:
“I heard that nowadays you can hire desks [agencies] for two thousand euros a month so that very nice messages about players are thrown into the world. On social media, so to speak. You are continuously linked to players, whether they come from South America or Eastern Europe. But no, this [Henderson interest] makes no sense.”
David de Gea has made the most of Henderson’s absence and has practically returned to his best form. Last season, the Spaniard’s play was so dismal that he faced a threat for the spot in the starting XI for the first time in a number of years.
De Gea hasn’t been threatened by his position since Sergio Romero’s brief run of form under Louis van Gaal. Henderson performed so well last season that there were rumours that he would start the season as the club’s first choice.
Unfortunately, the Englishman became unwell and did not recover soon enough, so De Gea returned to pre-season with confidence. Henderson currently appears unlikely to force his way into the starting XI, despite Ralf Rangnick’s desire to give everyone a chance to shine.
Due to the lack of minutes, speculation grew about the academy graduate’s wish to depart to reshape his career, with some speculating that he could move permanently rather than on loan.
Ajax was believed to be interested in signing Henderson due to Andre Onana’s impending departure to Inter Milan, although Van der Sar has now refuted this rumour.
