A former Newcastle United player has just completed a shock move to Premier League champions Liverpool. Nobody could have predicted this bizarre deal.
The summer transfer window appears to be in full swing now, but it has been a rather slow start for Eddie Howe’s side. Just one new signing in the opening two weeks of the transfer window is not what Newcastle United fans would have wanted.
However, that does not mean that the Magpies have not been trying. Geordie Boot Boys were told Joao Pedro to Newcastle is ‘looking likely’ while Burnley shot-stopper James Trafford has already agreed personal terms over a move.
Newcastle have seen a multitude of players come and go since Howe was appointed in 2021, including Freddie Woodman, who made a permanent move to Preston North End in 2022 after making his Premier League debut the season before.
Now, it has just been confirmed that he will sign for Premier League Champions Liverpool for free this summer, a deal which nobody saw coming.
Freddie Woodman poses with the Liverpool shirt in front of the Liverpool crest.
Photo by Nick Taylor/Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images
Former Newcastle United man Freddie Woodman joins Liverpool from Preston
In the early stages of his career, there was a lot of hype around goalkeeper Woodman, who won the Under-17s World Cup with England alongside the likes of Phil Foden.
He looked like he was going to forge a great career for himself, with many Newcastle fans hoping it would be for them. However, it did not really work out like that.
Woodman finally got his chance in Newcastle’s first-team squad under Steve Bruce in 2021. After a troubling first few games, he was thrown into the deep end against Manchester United at Old Trafford. That game was Cristiano Ronaldo’s second debut with the Red Devils. He scored twice as Man U won 4-1.
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Woodman was then loaned to Bournemouth in the January transfer window, but failed to make a single league appearance before his contract expired, and he joined Preston. After three relatively successful years at Deepdale, it was confirmed on Friday night that Liverpool are set to sign the 28-year-old, who will become their third-choice keeper.
It looks unlikely that he will make many appearances with the Reds in what is a move that nobody ever could have predicted.
Freddie Woodman would have been of use to Newcastle United
Woodman now most likely sits on the bench and waits for his chance at Liverpool after nearly 150 appearances for Preston. It is unclear how much football he will play, but it is likely that he will get some exposure to Champions League football, which he has never experienced in his career.
However, in an ideal world, Newcastle would have tried to sign Woodman because he would be a great help for their upcoming Champions League campaign. Woodman came out of Newcastle’s academy, meaning he is classified as “club-trained” with the Magpies.
If he had joined Newcastle this summer, he could have helped them get extra slots in their Champions League squad. The Magpies only have Sean Longstaff on their books who is club-trained, so Howe may look to add more players who can help with squad registration.
Fraser Forster was linked with a return to Newcastle, but it is unlikely that the Magpies will sign another goalkeeper with James Trafford reportedly close to joining.