OLE GUNNAR SOLSKJAER thought he was spoilt for choice with goalkeepers.
Instead, the Manchester United manager goes into the summer with a huge headache in this department.
United knew they had big calls to make but their problems appeared to be elsewhere.
Instead, the club do not appear to have a truly top-class keeper. Or certainly not one they have faith in.
The situation with David De Gea, 30, and 24-year-old Dean Henderson cannot continue as Solskjaer trusts neither.
Tom Heaton is joining as No 3 but, potentially, United must look at signing another keeper.
Either De Gea or Henderson will have to leave, whether on loan or permanently.
With Spanish No 1 De Gea, United are in an Arsenal-Mesut Ozil situation.
De Gea did not cover himself in glory in Wednesday’s Europa League final penalty shootout by failing to get near any of the 11 spot-kicks.
It means he has failed to save ANY of the last 40 penalties faced for club and country since April 2016.
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He also missed his penalty, United’s 11th of the shootout, handing victory to Villarreal.
But De Gea looked low in confidence throughout the game and could have done better for Gerard Moreno’s opening goal.
De Gea is not stupid. He knows Solskjaer has major doubts over him as a player.
And the same applies to Henderson, who has not seized the chance to be top dog.
United will not want to sell Henderson but it depends on De Gea. He earns £375,000 a week basic and, with bonuses, can bank up to £500,000.
Like Ozil at Arsenal, no club will want to sign him permanently on those wages.
So United will see if they can find De Gea a club who will cover a large part of his salary.
But if they cannot find an interested club, it could be Henderson who is loaned out.
Heaton, 35, has left Aston Villa and will be back-up, with Sergio Romero set to leave.
Yet Henderson’s situation is also a major issue for England boss Gareth Southgate.
He named four keepers in a 33-man squad, with Henderson joined by Jordan Pickford, Sam Johnstone and Aaron Ramsdale.
So if Pickford is injured, England have a problem.
Marcus Rashford is also still battling shoulder and foot issues ahead of the Euros opener with Croatia on June 13.
It leaves Southgate with plenty to ponder before a friendly against Austria on Wednesday.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
