Manchester United lost their Premier League opener to Arsenal 1-0, but anyone who watched the game will have come away with more optimism than before kick-off.
Ruben Amorim’s side showed against title contenders that they will be a problem for the league if they continue to play like this.
There are still clear holes in the team, but the new signings were electric against Arsenal, and the internal improvement is also obvious to see.
Just a few reinforcements will make the team complete, and former Red Devil Demetri Mitchell has just the player in mind who can lead the club’s push for a top-four finish.
Dean Henderson, Radek Vitek, Joe Hugill, Daniel Gore, Nathan Bishop of Manchester United arrives ahead of the pre-season friendly match between Manchester United and Borussia Dortmund at Allegiant Stadium on July 30, 2023
Photo by Matthew Peters/Manchester United via Getty Images
Demetri Mitchell urges Man Utd to buy Dean Henderson
Man Utd are no strangers to buying back the players they sold on the cheap, with Paul Pogba the leading light on that front.
Players seem to play better away from the pressure and scrutiny of Old Trafford, but in Dean Henderson’s case, he was never given a fair roll of the dice at the club.
Henderson was sold to Crystal Palace for just £15m, with add-ons potentially taking it to £20m.
As United saw another goalkeeping error throw away the result in what was a brilliant performance, the focus is on Altay Bayindir, Andre Onana, and co.
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Ex-United man Demetri Mitchell went on X, formerly known as Twitter, and said United should explore a move to bring Henderson back to the club to ‘have a chance’ at a top-four finish.
He wrote: “United should go buy Dean Henderson back, and they’ve got a chance at top 4.”
United have already been linked to Adam Wharton of Crystal Palace, and Henderson is a fanciful acquisition at best, and an unrealistic one at worst.
Still, Mitchell’s comments hammer home the larger point of United needing to address their goalkeeping situation.
Ruben Amorim has a clear transfer priority
Man Utd have been trying to buy an athletic midfielder, which is a necessity as well, but with one game a week for most weeks, the hope is that the likes of Manuel Ugarte, Kobbie Mainoo, and Casemiro can handle that position by committee.
However, there is no such respite for the goalkeeper, where Onana has been bad, and Bayindir has somehow been worse.
United finally look like a team playing coherent attacking football with patterns of play and confidence, and errors in goal can drain that confidence in a single moment.
They lost many points last season due to individual errors, forced or unforced, and this season, beginning the same way is not a good sign.
Amorim suddenly has a clear transfer priority this season. They have Radek Vitek impressing on loan, but they need someone who can challenge Onana right now.