Newcastle want Freddie Woodman stay as Rafael Benitez reveals plan for Everton and Tottenham target

Rafael Benitez is desperate not to wave farewell to another highly-rated young Newcastle United prospect amid reported interest from the likes of Everton and Tottenham Hotspur in goalkeeper Freddie Woodman.

The Magpies have already seen talented teenage defender Lewis Gibson move to Goodison Park for a potential £6m ($7.7m) fee and speculation regarding third-string custodian Woodman's future has intensified since he helped England to Under-20 World Cup success in South Korea earlier this summer and received the tournament's Golden Glove award.

Everton and Crystal Palace were already said to be monitoring the 20-year-old's situation, while The Chronicle reported last month that Spurs were also keeping close tabs on a player who is believed to have been subject to numerous loan offers from clubs in both Scotland and the Football League having voiced a desire to depart St James' Park on a temporary basis.

Such a potential exit is complicated by the fact that Newcastle are still trying to offload Tim Krul as they continue their search for another goalkeeper to compete with current number one Rob Elliot and Karl Darlow, the latter of whom could be sold before the transfer deadline.

Outlining his plans for that area of the squad during an interview with the Sunday Sun, Benitez, who sanctioned the departure of Mats Selz to Anderlecht in June, admitted that he was looking for another experienced glovesman and claimed he would be willing to allow Woodman to leave on loan in January.

"Freddie is more difficult," he said, per The Chronicle. "We don't want to lose Freddie. He is a goalkeeper with great potential. A good 'keeper, still a young 'keeper with great potential.

"The idea is to protect us as a club and make sure he progresses, to keep him until January and then he can go on loan. He can play with the under-23s and stay with the first team and work with the first team 'keepers every day. Then we are covered if we have any problems because he has the quality.

"Personally he thinks he would like to play because he wants the experience. I told him he can play with the under-23s and we don't want to lose. We have decided that he will stay with us and can go on loan in January if he needs more experience."

Former Palace youngster Woodman, son of ex-Toon goalkeeping coach Andy Woodman, joined Newcastle in 2014 and has yet to make a senior appearance for the club, instead dispatched for loan spells with Hartlepool United, Crawley Town and Kilmarnock.

Everton have already splashed £30m on another hugely promising young England goalkeeper in Jordan Pickford, while Tottenham are said to be on the verge of signing Southampton's Paulo Gazzaniga to provide cover for Hugo Lloris and Michel Vorm.

The return of Steve Mandanda to Marseille after one season has left new Palace boss Frank de Boer with only Wayne Hennessey and veteran Julian Speroni to call upon between the posts.