West Ham hold crucial advantage in Dean Henderson transfer race [Opinion]

West Ham making the first tentative enquiries with Manchester United over the availability of Dean Henderson is a bold yet providential step from the Hammers.

First mover advantage, a long-held economic principle, could be the force which steers West Ham towards lining up an ideal replacement for the ageing Lukasz Fabianski, who is out of contract in the summer.

Reports from the Manchester Evening News have detailed how the Red Devils are set for a major goalkeeping clearout in which the Hammers could be unlikely beneficiaries. West Ham are among the suitors interested in Henderson, with Manchester United keen to shift up to £600,000-a-week in goalkeeping wages off their books.

Fabianski being in need of replacement is an inevitability given his age of 35 and contractual situation, with Henderson’s headhunted status by Hammers scouts being a natural fit. The 23-year-old is also wanted by the Irons’ London rivals Tottenham and Chelsea, with the England international said to be ‘frustrated’ at a lack of opportunities on a regular basis.

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Keeping both David de Gea and Henderson at Old Trafford looks to be unviable in the long run, brewing the perfect storm for the Hammers to capitalise upon.

Stealing a march over their capital rivals by making the first concrete enquiries could go a long way in cementing the foundations for formal negotiations in what could emerge as a protracted transfer saga.

Given the company of suitors that West Ham appear to be keeping, the ‘fantastic’ shot-stopper (as dubbed by Andy Cole) is clearly being eyed as a future star in the upper echelons of goalkeeping.