Rangers told Freddie Woodman would cost ‘£20m’ by Preston boss after recent transfer update
Preston North End manager Ryan Lowe has told Rangers they will need to pay around £20million if they wish to sign goalkeeper Freddie Woodman.
According to the Scottish Sun [2 March], the Gers have sent scouts to Deepdale to watch Woodman this season and the ex-Newcastle player “fits the bill” for Michael Beale’s side.
With 41-year-old Alan McGregor reportedly set for an Ibrox exit when his contract expires at the end of the season [Daily Record, 16 February], Rangers will be on the hunt for a new number one to take place between the sticks.
Addressing the media on Thursday (2 March), the Lilywhites boss was asked about the rumours between the 25-year-old and sides such as Rangers.
As reported by the Daily Record, he replied: “Good, they can give us £20m for him if they want. I don’t know what he’s worth but we know he’s a top, top keeper. If he continues to get those clean sheets then that’s what will happen, there will be talks of clubs and interest in him. Especially those types of clubs.
“He’s an England youth international and there are not many of those types of good keepers around aside from the ones that are already there. We knew when we were signing Fred that he was a good goalkeeper and he just needs to continue that good form.”
Too much?
Beale will have his scouts stationed far and wide as the club look to secure their next long-term number one, and Woodman fits the bill in several regards.
To date, Woodman has been one of the standout keepers in the Championship, recording 14 clean sheets from 34 games which is the second-best record in the division. The Preston keeper also has previous experience in Scotland, having played with Kilnarnock and Aberdeen earlier in his career.
Despite this, the £20million fee that Lowe mentioned in his press conference does seem a little steep considering the club’s recent transfer business.
The route that Beale wanted to go down in terms of transfer was clearly set-out in the January window, with both Todd Cantwell and Nicolas Raskin snapped up for modest fees.
And although Woodman may be the ideal next heir to McGregor, the price tag will be a little off-putting for Ross Wilson and Beale.
In other Rangers news, a pundit has ripped into Gers fans after what they did in the Viaplay Cup final v Celtic.