Owen Goodman’s chances of staying at Huddersfield Town may have taken a blow with the Terriers set to sign a former Championship goalkeeper.
The Crystal Palace loanee, who found great success at AFC Wimbledon in their playoff-winning season, has failed to oust existing option Lee Nichols as the first-choice goalkeeper in West Yorkshire, sparking conversations about his future this January.
Alnwick Move Shuffles Deck
According to Wales Online, Cardiff City veteran goalkeeper Jak Alnwick is set to make a permanent move to the Kirklees Stadium this January after a troubled season. Due to personal issues, the 35-year-old has been unable to feature for Brian Barry-Murphy’s side this campaign and has only recently returned to training.
A stand-in captain at points last season in the Championship, Alnwick was the first-choice goalkeeper for the Bluebirds for much of their relegation campaign in the Championship with 31 appearances across league and cup.
His final appearance for the Welsh side came in February last year, but he did make the bench behind Nathan Trott in an August League One match against Peterborough United.
Cardiff manager Brian Barry-Murphy spoke about his potential exit earlier in the day, with both him and fellow backup Ethan Horvath expected to leave the club over the course of the window.
Any action for Huddersfield would see Alnwick play his first minutes in the third tier since he played for Blackpool back in 2020, having also played in the division with Scunthorpe United, Port Vale and Bradford City.
Goodman Exit Closer?
With a new option to compete for the gloves for Huddersfield Town, the recruitment of Zak Alnwick may prompt Crystal Palace to recall Owen Goodman in the coming days.
Lee Nichols has proven to be a more assured option for the Terriers this season in what has been a tough campaign overall, falling well short of their pre-season expectations of promotion.
Goodman is a very good goalkeeper who has perhaps been unlucky not to feature more in League One this campaign, meaning interest from elsewhere in the division may come should the Eagles make a call on the 22-year-old.
With just 12 appearances to his name in blue and white alongside a silly red card against Barnsley at the end of August, it is hard to see this move as anything other than a disappointing one but with how he performed at AFC Wimbledon and Colchester United before that, he will surely be back playing regularly.