AFC Bournemouth remain keen on Newcastle United's Freddie Woodman, who may now be available for loan again, Chronicle Live journalist Lee Ryder reports.
The lowdown
Woodman got as far as having a medical with the Cherries and was preparing to join up with his new team-mates for a pre-season training camp in Marbella (via The Northern Echo).
But Newcastle opted to pull the plug on the deal at the eleventh hour following an injury to first-choice 'keeper Martin Dubravka.
Woodman also spent last season loan in the second tier, helping Swansea City reach the playoff final.
In 45 league appearances, he conceded only 38 goals and kept 20 clean sheets - the most in the division.
The 24-year-old has two years left on his Newcastle contract and is valued at £9million by Transfermarkt.
The latest
Karl Darlow, another of Dubravka's deputies, is due back in training this week after recovering from Covid-19.
He could play some part in the Toon's behind-closed-doors friendly against Burnley on Tuesday, which would point towards him being available for Newcastle's first league game at home to West Ham on 15 August.
The 'debate' over whether Woodman should be loaned out is now expected to resurface.
Bournemouth are still described as 'keen', while the player himself is hoping to go out on loan in search of regular first-team football.
The verdict
Newcastle should now grant Woodman the move he desires, whether that's Bournemouth or elsewhere. You'd imagine there'll be no shortage of suitors after his impressive displays in the Championship.
Mark Gillespie is a capable no. 2 in the mean-time, and Newcastle could even try to insert a straightforward recall option in the Woodman loan agreement as an additional safety net.
In the long-term, a larger question about his his role at St James' Park looms. Dubravka and Darlow are 32 and 30 respectively and should be able to continue performing for a number of years. Come next summer, the Magpies may choose to cash in.
In other news, Mark Douglas provided encouraging Joe Willock news.