Man Utd consider free-agent keeper to boost depth next season | OneFootball

Man Utd Eye Championship Star as Goalkeeper Shake-Up Looms

Free-Agent Market Key to Amorim’s Summer Rebuild

Manchester United’s summer plans are gradually taking shape — not with the fireworks of marquee signings, but with the calculated precision of someone aware of the club’s delicate financial balancing act. According to TeamTalk, United are plotting a potential move for Preston North End’s Freddie Woodman, one of the most consistent goalkeepers in the Championship and available on a free transfer this summer.

Woodman, 28, has quietly become a standout performer for Preston, with 13 clean sheets in 37 Championship appearances before his season was cut short by an ankle injury. Described in reports as “one of the best free-agent stoppers around in summer,” he represents a logical and economically sound option for Ruben Amorim’s evolving squad.

Photo IMAGO

Amorim’s Priorities and Goalkeeping Uncertainty

Amorim’s arrival has brought both excitement and expectation. Yet his public acknowledgement that the upcoming transfer window will be “crucial” hints at internal concerns about depth and balance. That’s especially true in goal, where Andre Onana’s season has been riddled with uncertainty. “There has been plenty of speculation about Onana this season…after making some big errors,” TeamTalk explains.

Photo IMAGO

Amorim still backs Onana, for now. But the landscape may shift as other exits loom. Tom Heaton is set to leave on a free, while Altay Bayindir — despite doing well when called upon — could seek a starting role elsewhere. This leaves United potentially in need of one, or even two, replacements.

Photo IMAGO

Woodman’s Top-Flight Credentials

Woodman’s pedigree is solid. A former Newcastle United prospect, he has Premier League experience and international pedigree at youth level with England. “The Red Devils were checking on him before his ankle injury and he is in the frame, along with Blackburn’s Aynsley Pears,” the article adds.

His technical profile fits a modern shot-stopper — solid distribution, strong in one-on-ones, and a commanding presence. And in an era of PSR constraints, he ticks another crucial box: affordability.

Smart Business or Short-Term Stopgap?

Whether Woodman is brought in as genuine competition or simply as depth will depend on Amorim’s broader tactical intentions. But this move, should it happen, would represent United’s growing acceptance that shrewd, pragmatic recruitment may be their best path forward — at least for now.

Our View – EPL Index Analysis

If you’re a United fan, this is the kind of transfer that might not sell shirts — but could save points. Freddie Woodman might not be the glamorous name some supporters crave, but when you peel back the headline hunger and look at what’s needed, this makes complete sense.

He’s 28 — the perfect age for a goalkeeper to mature into consistency. He’s proven at Championship level, knows the Premier League, and would arrive without costing a penny in transfer fees. With Tom Heaton set to go and Bayindir possibly departing, it’s not about flashy upgrades — it’s about keeping the squad functioning.

Woodman provides exactly what United’s squad needs under Amorim: low-risk, high-reliability depth in a position where trust is everything. And if Onana struggles again next season? Well, it doesn’t hurt to have an option ready to step up.

If this is how United operate in the new era of PSR-aware recruitment, fans may have to adjust expectations. But smart, considered moves like this one could end up being the reason Amorim’s project gets the breathing room it needs to grow.