Freddie Woodman's future in doubt after being left in limbo at Newcastle

Freddie Woodman's unhappy at being denied a loan move '“ and a clutch of clubs are monitoring his situation.
Freddie WoodmanFreddie Woodman
Freddie Woodman

The Newcastle United goalkeeper had hoped to go out on loan in the summer.

But the club opted to keep him at St James’s Park after he refused to sign a one-year contract extension, on the same terms as his existing deal, this summer.

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And Woodman, desperate to be playing week-in, week-out, is understood to be frustrated at his situation, as a lack of first-team football will have an impact on his international career.

The England Under-21 international didn’t even make the bench for last night’s European Championship qualifier against Holland.

Woodman – who had been willing to discuss a new long-term contract at the club – spent the second half of last season at Aberdeen after securing a loan move in the final hours of January’s transfer window.

The 21-year-old went on to help England’s Under-21s win the Toulon Tournament in June. Woodman reported back to United for pre-season training keen to push on in his career, and a number of Championship clubs were interested in taking him on loan.

United, however, refused to sanction a loan.

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The club wanted Woodman to sign an extension to his deal, which was signed in 2016 before he won the World Cup with England’s Under-20s and made his first-team debut for Newcastle.

Woodman has a good relationship with United manager Benitez, who spoke about his situation before the transfer window closed last week.

“We don’t have anyone coming saying they want him now,” said Benitez, who has four senior goalkeepers at the club.

“We had clubs before, but we told them that now is not the right time, so normally he has to stay.”

Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, Everton and Crystal Palace have previously been linked with Woodman, and United’s determination to keep him is likely to be tested in the January transfer window.