Liverpool have signed goalkeeper Freddie Woodman on a free transfer, making him the third new ‘keeper through the door this summer.
The Reds already have Giorgi Mamardashvili and youngster Armin Pecsi arriving, following the departures of Caoimhin Kelleher, Vitezslav Jaros and Harvey Davies (the last two on loan).
It was expected that Pecsi, the 20-year-old Hungarian, would act as third-choice ‘keeper, but in a move that nobody saw coming, the club announced the transfer on Friday evening.
Woodman, a former Newcastle United player, will provide cover for Alisson and Mamardashvili.
Crucially, an experienced stopper but still not a veteran at age 28, he counts as a homegrown player and thus does not take up a non-homegrown player spot in the Reds’ squad.
A former England under-21 international, Woodman is out of contract at Preston and thus available for free, having been a key player for the Championship side in the last three seasons – winning the Lilywhites’ player of the year in his first season at Deepdale.
Woodman was on the books of Newcastle for eight years from 2014 to 2022, taking in six loan spells, including at Swansea City and Bournemouth.
He has over 300 senior appearances under his belt, including four in the Premier League and over 200 in the Championship. The London native has 99 cleansheets to his name.
Liverpool were actually linked with a move for Woodman back in 2016 when he was at Newcastle and an England under-19 international.
Wooodman becomes the sixth new arrival this summer, following Mamardashvili, Pecsi, Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez and Florian Wirtz.
He will complete his move on July 1 after his contract at Preston expire means, meeting up for pre-season training at the AXA Training Centre on July 8.
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