Promoted side Nottingham Forest have entered talks with Manchester United regarding Dean Henderson, with a loan-to-buy option on the table according to a Twitter update from journalist Fabrizio Romano.

The 25-year-old has been the subject of interest from elsewhere this summer with AFC Bournemouth, Fulham and Newcastle United also being linked with a move for the Englishman in recent weeks, with the shot-stopper unlikely to be one of the first names on the teamsheet at Old Trafford whilst David de Gea remains at the club.

Forest are also on the search for a goalkeeper with Brice Samba unwilling to sign a contract at this stage - and could potentially depart the City Ground in the coming months despite his heroics during the Reds' 2021/22 promotion-winning campaign.

Backup shot-stopper Ethan Horvath has also cast doubt over his future - and may potentially be pushed down in the pecking order if Henderson joins and Samba remains in the East Midlands beyond the summer.

According to Romano, Forest are firmly in the race to recruit the United first-teamer with an option to buy of around £20m potentially being inserted in any agreement for the 25-year-old who may be set to link up with Steve Cooper.

Talks have been opened - but negotiations are ongoing at this stage and there may still be work to do in Forest's quest to land a new first-choice option between the sticks.

The Verdict:

This would be a good signing for the Reds considering he already has a decent amount of Premier League experience under his belt, something that could come in handy if he makes the move to the City Ground.

Although Samba is a good shot-stopper, he does make errors at times and hasn't experienced life in the English top tier so it may take a while for the 28-year-old to adapt, with Horvath also not having any experience at this level.

This is why bringing in Henderson may not be the worst idea, though they do need to target other positions with two starting wing-backs needed, a replacement for the likes of James Garner and Philip Zinckernagel and more options needed up top.

Because of the need to address other areas, a loan move may be the most sensible at this stage because it will enable them to spend money elsewhere in the team and that could make all the difference at the end of the 2022/23 season.

An option instead of an obligation to buy needs to be agreed though - because there are no guarantees that Forest will remain afloat in the top tier and it could prove to be a very costly signing if they are forced to buy him for the long term as a Championship team.