Rangers-linked Freddie Woodman breaks silence on Ibrox transfer links as £3.5m development emerges

Preston North End goalkeeper Freddie Woodman has broken his silence after previously being linked with a summer move to Rangers.

The Scottish Sun claimed (2 March) the 26-year-old Englishman was on the “radar” of Michael Beale, with a £3.5million move being readied by the Light Blues.

Woodman has since reacted to the links and has revealed he didn’t have a clue about the initial reports.

Rangers

“Nah, never. I only got told the other day loosely by the manager, he said something about Rangers or something like that,” said the Preston goalkeeper (Yours Mine Away Podcast, 24 April, quoted by the Daily Record)

“I didn’t have a clue. I try not to get involved in it.”

Priority

A new number one should be top of Beale’s wishlist. Allan McGregor’s prolonged playing career has meant the number one jersey has been a fairly comfortable area for the Light Blues in recent years. There hasn’t been a desperate need for a new keeper to come through the door at Ibrox.

However, with McGregor set to hang up the gloves and Jon McLaughlin not fit for service, someone of Woodman’s quality would prove to be a long-term fix.

Rangers

A present, a move for the Preston shot-stopper does seem unlikely. According to the Scottish Sun [24 April], Crystal Palace’s Jack Butland is close to agreeing a move to join Rangers, with his contract at Selhurst Park set to conclude at the end of the 2022/23 season.

Butland, 30, is currently on-loan at Manchester United but is free to talk with other clubs due to his situation in South London. He’s an experienced shot-stopper who could well be an astute piece of business. It could allow for more money to be spent on other areas of Beale’s squad.

In other Rangers, Stewart Robertson’s assurances prove worthless as club lose a crucial “£30million”.