OPINION
Newcastle United boss Rafa Benitez has a decision to make regarding his goalkeepers in the upcoming January window, with both Freddie Woodman and Rob Elliot both seeking loan exits.
As reported by the Chronicle earlier this week, youngster Woodman is desperate to secure a loan move away having been stuck in the reserves for the past few months.
Third-choice stopper Elliot is another potential exit for the Magpies, with the experienced 32-year-old in danger of becoming rusty as he struggles for game time at St. James’ Park.
Obviously Benitez cannot let both men leave, with the club needing three goalkeepers available to them at all times, but this decision is in fact a no-brainer for Benitez.
Woodman is out of contract in 2020 and is a prized asset for the club, with the 21-year-old earmarked as a future first-teamer for a long while now, and he must be the player allowed to leave.
The youngster has openly admitted his frustration at his current situation, and Premier League teams are reportedly lining up to sign him should he decide to leave the club.
Newcastle desperately need to keep Woodman happy, because losing him to a rival would be something they would live to regret in years to come.
That quite clearly involved a January exit for Woodman, potentially to a Championship side, and that will hopefully in turn lead to the 21-year-old signing a new deal on Tyneside.
Elliot on the other hand is an experienced goalkeeper and will have known he was unlikely to see much game time this season, and can sort his long-term future in the summer.
All in all Benitez’s choice is clear, and should he not allow Woodman to leave on loan then there could be trouble on the horizon in the near future.
