Newcastle United goalkeeper Freddie Woodman is desperate to leave the club and move on loan to either Scotland or an English league side as manager Rafael Benitez plots sending one of his two out-of-favour goalkeepers on loan, according to the Chronicle.
The newspaper claim on their website that the 6’2″ (source: Transfermarkt) England under-21 international is seeking regular game time and wants to leave St James’ Park in January, but that the Spanish boss is also considering the exit of senior stopper Rob Elliot.
The long-serving keeper has fallen down the pecking order on Tyneside behind Karl Darlow and Martin Dubravka and has not made an appearance in nearly a year.
Good move for Newcastle?
The Magpies are blessed with a decent amount of goalkeepers at the moment and sending one out on loan makes perfect sense – it is just a surprise that such a move did not happen in summer.
Woodman, 21, is obviously the man who has his future ahead of him and as such wants to play regularly to help his development, while Elliot is simply wasting his career, which probably has less than a decade left, on the very fringes at St James’ Park.
Both would probably like to seal a move away this January, but Benitez seems keen on keeping three senior options between the sticks and as such only one will get the chance.
This is Futbol rating: Woodman – 8/10, Elliot – 7/10
Likely to happen?
It seems a certainty at least one will be departing but as for who that might be, only Benitez will know.
Sending Woodman out makes the most sense if he really is that desperate to leave the club for more action, and with him being a top young talent at St James’ Park, keeping him happy while furthering his career.
Elliot’s departure also makes sense but at the same time, he is not likely to be attracting as many suitors as Woodman, and therefore it is the younger of the pair who seems most likely to get his move away.
This is Futbol rating: Woodman – 9/10, Elliot, 4/10