Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder has admitted the club may have to find “alternative options” to Dean Henderson.
Wilder was previously confident the goalkeeper would rejoin the Blades on loan from Manchester United this season.
Yet with less than three weeks to go until the start of the new campaign, Henderson is still yet to make the move.
“The lads wants to come, he’s told enough people on social media and he’s all over that,” Wilder told the Sheffield Star.
“The football people at Manchester United want him to come back, I believe, and we want him to come back.
“But the deal, for whatever reason, is’t progressing at the pace we’d like. So there’s going to come a point when I have to start considering alternative options.”
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Why the Blades need Henderson
Currently the South Yorkshire side only have one option between the posts and that is Simon Moore. Moore is under contract at Bramall Lane until 2021, but even last term was considered a backup.
The 29-year-old made just two appearances in all competitions in 2018/19 as Henderson played every minute of the Blades’ successful promotion campaign from the Championship.
The England Under-21 international kept more clean sheets than any other ‘keeper in the division. Henderson also helped his adopted team to the joint best defensive record.
It’s clear that Moore – with the majority of his experience coming in League One – will not be Wilder’s number one this season. So if Henderson doesn’t come back then they will have to seek alternatives.
The Blades have already made five new signings this summer, breaking their transfer record three times in the process.
Lys Mousset is the latest to join, signing from Bournemouth for £10m (BBC). That fee eclipsed the previous highest paid for Callum Robinson and Luke Freeman before him. Phil Jagielka and Ravel Morrison have also arrived as free agents.
Wilder still has two available loan spots to fill as well.