Freddie Woodman transfer: Liverpool to sign Preston goalkeeper to solve squad issue

Liverpool will sign Preston North End goalkeeper Freddie Woodman when the 28-year-old's contract expires at the end of this month.

Former England under-21 goalkeeper Woodman will act as third-choice to Alisson and Giorgi Mamardashvili at Anfield, with Georgia international Mamardashvili officially joining the Reds from Valencia this summer after his move was agreed last year.

Liverpool sold Alisson's long-term deputy Caoimhin Kelleher to Brentford for up to £18million earlier this summer, while Vitezslav Jaros and Harvey Davies have joined Ajax and Crawley Town on loan respectively. Hungary under-21 goalkeeper Armin Pecsi has arrived from Puskas Akademia but is expected to play for the under-23s team.

London-born Woodman came through the ranks at Crystal Palace before a 2013 move to Newcastle, who sent him on loan to Hartlepool, Crawley, Kilmarnock, Aberdeen, Swansea and Bournemouth during his time at St James' Park. He played nine games for the Magpies before his 2022 move to Preston, where he has been No.1 for the past three seasons.

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Woodman's arrival will serve as a valuable addition to Liverpool's homegrown player quota, with the Reds needing to increase their number of English FA trained players in their squads for both the Premier League and Champions League.

Under Premier League rules, squads can only carry a maximum of 17 non-homegrown players in their squad of 25 players (over the age of 21) for the season, with a homegrown player categorised as someone of any nationality who has been registered with any club affiliated to the English FA for a period, continuous or not, of three entire seasons, or 36 months, before his 21st birthday.

The arrival of left-back Milos Kerkez has taken Liverpool's number of non-homegrown players to 18, although fellow new arrival Jeremie Frimpong counts as a homegrown player thanks to his time in the academy at Manchester City.

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