Newcastle United are planning to send young shot-stopper Freddie Woodman out on loan again this summer once he returns from that ‘brilliant’ spell at Swansea City, according to The Chronicle.
If the 23-year-old was anything other than a goalkeeper, he would probably have quite a few first-team appearances for the Magpies under his belt already.
Unfortunately for Woodman, however, Martin Dubravka is not going anywhere. The Slovakia international has made by far and away the most saves of any Premier League goalkeeper this season and, even if Newcastle are taken over by a Saudi Arabian billionaire, one area they will not be looking to strengthen is between the sticks.
All the signs, then, point to another season out on loan for one of English football’s most promising glovesmen.
Woodman has been a sensation since joining Swansea on a short-term basis last summer, keeping 11 clean sheets in the Championship. He also worked with Swans boss Steve Cooper during England’s victorious U20 World Cup triumph in 2017, saving a penalty in the final against Venezuela.
“It’s an excellent attribute to be saving penalties on a regular basis,” Cooper told Swansea’s website of Woodman recently. “It’s not luck. It’s something he works hard on.
“We love Freddie. He’s been brilliant for us and has shown his true worth this season, particularly this week.”
It almost goes without saying then that, if given the opportunity, Swansea would jump at the chance to keep Woodman for another year.
Though, with just 12 months left on his contract, Newcastle may be tempted to see how he performs in the Premier League. Do not rule out a loan move to a rival top-flight club.
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