Ralf Rangnick's decision to block Dean Henderson's departure on loan on deadline day is likely to pile more pressure on the next Manchester United manager.
Second choice goalkeeper Henderson had interest from Watford, Ajax and Newcastle for a deal until the end of the season, according to the Manchester Evening News.
But Rangnick snubbed any offers from the trio as he wants to keep the England international at his disposal.
Henderson is yet to make a Premier League appearance this season, while he has only picked up two first team starts all term.
That is thought to have left him considering where his future may lie, having been in line to become United's no. 1 before contracting Covid over the summer.
So after months of bench warming, it looked as though Henderson might be in line for some game time with a loan move.
But Rangnick's decision to snub the offers for Henderson will only heighten the uncertainty around the goalkeeping situation at Old Trafford.
Rangnick was firm in his stance earlier this month of how he saw Henderson's plans for the rest of the season playing out.
Should Rangnick have let Henderson leave on loan in January? Comment down below
Henderson expressed his desire to leave the club in January, but Rangnick wants him to stay in case De Gea suffers an injury or loss in form.
"A couple of weeks ago he asked me [if he could leave] but I told him I’d rather have him stay until the end of the season," said the German.
"We are very happy with our goalkeepers but if it’s up to me I wouldn’t want him to leave."
It was a potential problem that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had failed to remedy last summer.
And the longer the wait for the resolution, the greater the dilemma, and the more pressure placed on the next manager at United to find a fix, whoever that may be.
At 24 years old, Henderson is undoubtedly the right option when trying to build for the future, as several of United's recent signings have pointed towards doing.
But De Gea's incredible service to the Red Devils cannot be overlooked, making this almost an unsolvable problem.
One thing is for certain though, the longer Henderson goes without regular football, the more he will be itching to leave in the summer if he is not given some game time in the second half in the season.
