Manchester United ‘close in’ on shock transfer for 9-game ex-Newcastle United goalkeeper

The summer transfer window opens, albeit briefly, in just over a month’s time and one former Newcastle United player has been linked with a shock move to Manchester United. According to Football Insider, the Red Devils are ‘closing in’ on a move that will see Freddie Woodman move to Old Trafford this summer.

They report that Woodman, whose contract at Preston North End expires this summer, is being looked at as a potential third-choice goalkeeper. That move would see him replace Tom Heaton as their current third option behind Andre Onana and Altay Bayindir.

Heaton was named on the bench by Ruben Amorim for his side’s visit to St James’ Park earlier this month after Onana was dropped from the matchday squad altogether. Bayindir, meanwhile, made his first Premier League appearance but shipped four as the Magpies secured a comfortable victory.

Manchester United’s Freddie Woodman transfer interest

Woodman, meanwhile, has played 138 times for Preston during his three years at Deepdale. The 28-year-old rose through the ranks on Tyneside, but failed to solidify himself as a first-team option, despite being handed a run of starts at the beginning of the 2021/22 campaign.

That season began with both Martin Dubravka and Karl Darlow sidelined through injury with Woodman handed a rare opportunity to start in the Premier League. However, 12 goals conceded in his four league matches in goal, including four at Old Trafford as Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat-trick on his first appearance since rejoining the club from Juventus that summer, signalled the end of Woodman’s time in the Magpies goal as Darlow came back to replace him.

He would join Preston at the end of that season and has played the vast majority of matches since moving to the Lancashire club. Reported interest from Old Trafford in Woodman this summer comes as a surprise, but continues the trend of clubs needing a capable third-choice keeper in case of emergency.

The Magpies, for example, have a five-strong goalkeeping department with all-but Mark Gillespie with Premier League experience in their locker. Furthermore, the report indicates that the Red Devils could look to move Bayindir on this summer, despite question marks over Onana’s long-term future in Manchester.

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The Cameroon international was at fault for both of Lyon’s goals during their Europa League quarter-final first-leg meeting in France. Those goals almost cost his side in the second-leg as they found themselves 4-2 down at Old Trafford before they staged a remarkable late comeback with ended with Harry Maguire netting a header to send them through to the semi-finals.

Manchester United’s only hope of a return to the Champions League next season is by winning the Europa League this campaign. Newcastle United, meanwhile, sit 5th in the Premier League table and will end the weekend in third place should they beat Ipswich Town at St James’ Park on Saturday - a result that would also see the Tractor Boys relegated to the Championship.

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