Liverpool FC said Friday it has reached agreement to sign goalkeeper Freddie Woodman on a free transfer once his contract with Preston North End ends next week. The 28-year-old former England Under-21 international will become the Premier League champions’ third-choice keeper behind Alisson Becker and incoming Valencia signing Giorgi Mamardashvili. Woodman, who made 138 appearances for Preston after joining in 2022, qualifies as a home-grown player and therefore will not occupy one of the 17 non-home-grown slots in Liverpool’s 25-man Champions League squad. His arrival follows the £18 million sale of long-time deputy Caoimhin Kelleher to Brentford and season-long loan moves for Vitezslav Jaros to Ajax and Harvey Davies to Crawley Town, moves that had left the club seeking experienced cover.