Preston North End have Newcastle United goalkeeper on the radar but no deal done yet

The Newcastle United shot-stopper clocked-up two years of Championship experience on loan with Swansea City and would seem to fit well with what PNE want.

Reports in the North East have suggested a deal for 25-year-old could happen any day but it’s understood that things aren’t as quite far down the road as that.

However, he is certainly someone who the Lilywhites have their eye on as they seek to fill keeper vacancies in the first-team squad for the 2022/23 season.

A loan would be ideal, with Woodman still having time left on his Magpies contract and picking up a Premier League wage at St James’ Park.

That could be done with a view to permanent move after a season on loan at Deepdale.

North End are believed to have looked at five or six keepers who they could potentially take on loan from top-flight clubs, a loan being their preferred choice.

They also want a back-up keeper but will content themselves with having second-year scholar James Pradic providing cover as a third choice, giving him the chance to develop.

As well as his two years with Swansea, Woodman has had loans at Hartlepool, Crawley, Kilmarnock, Aberdeen and Bournemouth.

The Bournemouth loan was in the second-half of the season just finished but Woodman didn’t manage to dislodge Cherries first-choice Mark Travers and sat on the bench.

On the outfield player transfer search, nothing has yet materialised despite hope a deal could be done before the weekend. So the wait is likely to go on into next week.

Meanwhile, North End will be able to use five substitutes in Championship games next season after a rule change was approved by the EFL at their annual general meeting held in Chester.

Seven subs are allowed on the team sheet with five now able to come on, previously three were permitted.

PNE voted in favour of the rule change and would have been willing to see the rule changed to having nine players on the bench, as it was during the behind closed doors era.

But clubs opted to stick with seven but go with five of them coming on.

North End to search for two keepers this summer