Liverpool have agreed a deal to sign the 28-year-old following the expiry of his contract.
Liverpool are poised to add a third goalkeeper to their squad in the summer transfer window.
The department is experiencing significant change, with three stoppers already departing. Caoimhin Kelleher served as a magnificent deputy to No.1 Alisson Becker for several years and was between the posts to help the Reds win two Carabao Cups. However, Kelleher was sold to Brentford in a deal worth up to £18 million, with the Republic of Ireland international getting his wish of being first choice in his own right.
The Reds do have Giorgi Mamardashvili arriving imminently from Valencia. Liverpool agreed to sign last summer in a deal worth up to £29 million but he remained at the Spanish club for the 2024-25 campaign where he played 34 times.
The 28-year-old has spent the past three years at Championship club Preston North End but his contract expires at the end of the month. Woodman was part of Crystal Palace’s academy before moving to Newcastle United aged 14. He made nine appearances for the Magpies and had loan spells with Hartlepool United, Crawley, Kilmarnock, Aberdeen, Swansea City (two spells) and AFC Bournemouth. At the latter, he was signed by Liverpool’s sporting director Richard Hughes when in his role at the Cherries.
Manchester United had been linked with Woodman as they look to potentially add to their department. But the former England under-21 international will instead move to Anfield to become third choice following the expiry of his Preston deal. He will help fill numbers for the homegrown rule in the Premier League and count as an association-trained player in the Champions League.
Speaking after re-signing for Swansea in 2020, then-manager Steve Cooper said: “From long before now, if there was any chance to keep Freddie we wanted it, and he reciprocated that.
“He fitted in brilliantly last year, he quickly became popular with his team-mates, the supporters and the staff. It just made complete sense to keep that going. I believe we get a better goalkeeper now than we did 12 months ago, because of the opportunities he took when they were given to him last year.
“He is a year further on, and his challenge is to not stand still and keep improving, to be better than he was last year. He knows he has been number one last year, that means you have to build your resilience and concentration. There is no rest, you are in the team in a position you are expected to perform in.
“You are always under scrutiny in goal, you get to learn that best by playing and he grabbed that chance literally with both hands. He has shown he can do it, now he needs to do it again and be better. We really believe in him and he believes in what we are doing so let’s crack on.”
Continue Reading