Former England international Paul Robinson has backed Freddie Woodman to leave Newcastle United when he returns from a loan spell with Swansea City.
Woodman joined the Jacks on a one-season deal last summer and has been a mainstay of the South Wales outfit’s first-team ever since, starting each of their 27 Championship fixtures to date.
The London-born shot-stopper was rarely awarded such a chance to establish himself at St. James’ Park under Rafa Benitez before the Spaniard’s departure, as our former boss handed Woodman just four first-team outings with each coming in the FA Cup.
The closest Woodman ever came to making a Premier League appearance for the Toon came from his 52 appearances among the substitutes, the last of which coming in February 2019 at home to Huddersfield Town.
Woodman will soon have to decide whether he sees his future on Tyneside or elsewhere, as his current contract is set to expire in 2021 and neither Newcastle or the 22-year-old plans to allow the deal to enter its final 12-months.
Robinson is not holding out much hope on Woodman agreeing to another extension at St. James’ Park, though, as he feels the taste of first-team football has wet an appetite that will not be satisfied with outings on the bench.
“He’s not going to want to be No. 2,” Robinson told Football Insider.
“He’s been away, got the experience of playing and got a taste of playing, so he isn’t going to want to sit on the bench and be a No. 2, which he will be due to the form of [Martin] Dubravka.
“Dubravka is a top goalkeeper, and if/when [Woodman] comes back to Newcastle, he won’t go straight into the starting eleven, so that’s something for the manager and player to deal with.
“Whether he moves on or not, it’s looking more and more likely that he will.”
Does Woodman deserve a shot at Newcastle?
Yes
No
Dubravka has opened each and every Premier League game available to him since making his debut against Manchester United in February 2018, and disrupting the Slovakian’s consistent inclusion in the starting line-up will be a hard task for Woodman to achieve.
Woodman has been in fine form for Swansea while on loan at the Liberty Stadium, though, as only Leeds United’s Kiko Casilla (12) has kept more clean sheets than our academy graduate (nine).
Swansea ‘would love’ to keep Woodman in South Wales beyond his loan terms, but could face rival interest from Tottenham Hotspur and Everton as both have been long-term admirers of the £1.8million-rated ‘keeper.
In other Newcastle United news, the club are keen to sign a €10m forward currently being courted by a European giant.