Nottingham Forest are thought to once again be edging closer to a deal to sign Dean Henderson from Manchester United, with one final detail to be agreed upon.
The Reds are now very confident of securing the signing of the 26-year-old player they had on loan last season. Henderson made 20 appearances for Forest; keeping six clean sheets before his season-ending injury in January.
Now, The Athletic believe that Henderson is firmly in the sights of Forest, with one final detail to be ironed out involving the concept of the loan with an obligation to buy.
Forest will hope to create a little loophole to get around FFP. They will take Henderson on loan, with a fee set to be agreed which means the Reds have to sign the goalkeeper permanently.
It’s claimed that Forest would like the number of games to be around the 25 mark. United, however, want the transfer fee to be paid in full by the time the January transfer window comes around.
Henderson is only 26 and that makes him a very decent addition to the Forest ranks if a deal can be struck. He could become the club’s senior goalkeeper for the best part of a decade and he’d represent value for money.
Sander Berge has previously called Henderson ‘insane’ for his exploits at Sheffield United; whilst Steve Cooper labelled him ‘exceptional’ during his time between the posts for Forest last term.
This news will delight Forest and the club will hope to crank up their summer activity now, with the season just two weeks away. Ola Aina has already checked in as a free transfer, whilst Anthony Elanga has also checked in on Trentside.
Forest trying to iron out one final detail in Henderson pursuit
It’s been the most talked about Forest transfer all summer but things could now be drawing to a close. It’s hard to imagine what is really going on behind the scenes but it does seem as though Henderson is keen on the move.
This would be a very astute signing made by the Reds. Henderson wowed the fan base last season, with several of his strong performances contributing to helping Forest stay in the Premier League.
Now, he could be back and he could be here to stay this time! The Reds will need to keep their Premier League status intact over a number of years and if they do that, more high-profile signings can be expected.
Henderson bought into the ethos that Cooper tried to instil at Forest last season. Now, the head coach is set to bolster his squad by signing the number one and this would be a very good addition to the Reds’ ranks.
Edging closer seems to be the term that’s been used all summer long. Now, however, things could be moving and hopefully, this deal can be done as a matter of urgency by the Reds.