Man United transfer link to Preston North End out-of-contract and ex-Newcastle United man surfaces

Manchester United are monitoring out-of-contract Preston North End goalkeeper Freddie Woodman.

That is according to The Sun, who suggest that the former Newcastle United man is one third-choice domestic option being weighed up by the Old Trafford club. Another is Blackburn Rovers shot-stopper Aynsley Pears - though he is under contract until 2027 at Ewood Park.

Woodman joined PNE in the summer of 2022 and has been the Lilywhites’ number-one ever since. The 28-year-old has made 138 appearances for Preston and kept 44 clean sheets. But, he is set to miss the rest of the season through injury and may well have played his last game for the club.

When asked about the No.1’s contract, boss Paul Heckingbottom said last month: “I'm still open to everything. We've signed three or four players now who have stayed, mainly the centre-backs because there's no way we could do all that business in the summer.

“But the only money I've got at present, which I know I'll have, is players' wages. So, yeah, I'm not committing to anything as it stands. That will happen in the next few weeks, definitely: yes and no's and things like that. But I can't commit to it because we'll just have the same group again.

“I want to know exactly what we've got to play with and then you can make better decisions. We're looking at what we can get for the money. If I keep Freddie now, we've got Freddie. You have to all look and if that's the only money you can play with, you've got to play with it... that's it.”

North End linked with potential replacement

The Sun’s report also claims that Jesse Joronen is being eyed up by PNE, should they need to sign a new goalkeeper this summer. Joronen, 32, hails from Finland and sees his contract expire at Serie A strugglers Venezia - though the Italian club do have a one-year option inserted.

Joronen has kept 20 clean sheets in 79 appearances for Venezia. The shot-stopper came through at Fulham and had loan spells in England with Maidenhead, Cambridge, Accrington Stanley and Stevenage. He went on to play for AC Horsens, Copenhagen and Brescia, while earning 20 caps for his country.

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