Nottingham Forest did hold reservations about Dean Henderson and his thigh injury in the summer. The Reds still tried to do a deal for the 26-year-old but on their terms.
Last night, the decision by Forest to walk away looked like it was a good one. Henderson broke down just 17 minutes into his return for Crystal Palace against the club he’s just left, Manchester United.
The goalkeeper has been called ‘insane’ during his career. However, the Reds just couldn’t take the risk when it came to the goalkeeper this summer.
Why didn’t Forest sign Henderson?
According to The Athletic, the Reds held strong reservations about signing the goalkeeper for £20 million. Forest were keen to sign him on loan and make the deal permanent after 20 appearances.
It’s perhaps not a coincidence that United weren’t keen to sanction that deal. After last night, Henderson now awaits the results of a scan to discover the extent of his latest thigh problem.
Forest fans were dismayed that the Reds let the Henderson transfer develop into a saga. Ultimately, they merely wanted to do what was right for the football club and that must be lauded.
Who did Forest sign instead of their loan star from 2023/24?
After a failed attempt around a week before the campaign, Forest decided to move on. Matt Turner was signed from Arsenal and then on deadline day, Odysseas Vlachodimos was added from Benfica.
Turner is currently the man in possession of the gloves. He has made a great impact at the City Ground and he’s looking like a player who will become a fan favourite at the club.
Vlachodimos also comes to Forest with a brilliant pedigree. He’s won titles with Benfica and he’s also played games in the Champions League and Europa League.
The club had to move on from Henderson this summer. The Reds tried their best to sign a player that Steve Cooper rates highly but ultimately, it looks as though they’ve made the right call.
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