Manchester United needn't look far in their quest to replace De Gea

As reports on Sunday do the rounds of Manchester United seeking to secure a replacement for David De Gea, the speculation shouldn't come as too much of a surprise. The Spaniard endured his dodgy moments following his 2011 arrival from Atletico Madrid, yet quickly ironed out the errors to his game and established himself as one of the best in the business. 

In recent months, though, De Gea's game has taken a nosedive. Only Martin Dubravka (4) has committed more errors leading to an opposition goal than the 29-year-old (3) in the Premier League this season, the latest of which was a high-profile gaffe in United's 1-1 draw at Everton in March. 

David De Gea: Only Martin Dubravka (4) has committed more errors leading to an opposition goal than De Gea (3) in the Premier League this season pic.twitter.com/rya24MS4AP

— WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) May 10, 2020

De Gea had all the time in the world to either pick out a teammate or pump the ball upfield as Dominic Calvert-Lewis sauntered towards the United goal at Goodison Park. As the striker edged closer, De Gea didn't react until it was too late, culminating in the 23-year-old netting his 13th league goal of the season in comical fashion. 

On his day, the shotstopper is one of football's top goalkeepers, yet the inconsistency to his performances has drawn ample criticism. Having penned a four-year deal worth a rumoured £375,000 a week in September, it all but ended speculation surrounding a move to Real Madrid yet it could be that United actively look to sell the Spaniard when the opportunity presents itself. 

At his age, and despite his poor form, De Gea's reputation remains high, but the drop in performances could result in an Old Trafford departure. A WhoScored rating of 6.49 is among the worst of all goalkeepers in the Premier League this season and marks his worst rated campaign to date. It follows on from a 6.52 he attained in 2018/19, that his second worst, so this season isn't an isolated incident in terms of a dip for the goalkeeper. 

United could still command a high fee for De Gea if they do elect to sell and use that money brought in to acquire a high profile replacement, but you only have to look closer to home to see the Spain international's successor in the making. De Gea's fall has coincided with Dean Henderson's rise. The Enland hopeful's second season-long loan spell with Sheffied United is drawing to a close and there are high hopes for Henderson with United. 

The Premier League powerhouse have seen a surge of interest in the young goalkeeper, yet United are determined to keep the 23-year-old at the club as they view him as the natural successor to De Gea. That succession could come about earlier than many may have expected as Henderson excels for the Blades. Only Burnley's Nick Pope (11) has kept more clean sheets than Henderson (10) in England's top tier this term to add to the praise being heaped on the youngster. 

Only Alisson (80.4%) has a better save success rate than Henderson (76.9%) in the Premier League this season, that a marginal increase on De Gea (72.4%) this term, while the latter has conceded more league goals (30) than the on-loan goalkeeper (22). It's unfortunate for De Gea that Henderson's growth has come at the same time as his own personal downfall and with greater focus on the Sheffield United goalkeeper, it's only a matter of time before United make the hard decision to drop the former in favour of the latter. 

There is still work to be done if Henderson is to reach the heights De Gea has achieved in his successful nine-year spell with United, but he is on the right track, and his time with the Blades will have served him well. It remains to be seen where next for Henderson, though, with football postponed due to the Coronavirus pandemic and his loan spell running until next month. 

He is a goalkeeper who needs regular game time to develop and, at 23 years of age, he is in the infancy of his promising career. Yet, as De Gea proved when he arrived at Old Trafford back in 2011, age is but a number as the Spaniard worked his way to becoming one of football's top goalkeepers. That said, if United are seriously considering replacing De Gea sooner rather than later, then they needn't go out and spend big. They just need to look closer to home and realise the ideal successor is already on their books.