Crystal Palace goalkeeper Joe Whitworth is set to join League One side Exeter City on loan, according to reports from the South London Press.
Whitworth, an England youth international, has been at Palace since 2016, after joining from fellow London-based club AFC Wimbledon. He became Palace’s youngest-ever goalkeeper when he debuted in the Premier League against rivals Brighton and Hove Albion in a 1-0 defeat in March 2023. The then 19-year-old then featured again at the Emirates a week later, starting in the absence of Sam Johnstone and Vincente Guaita in a 4-1 defeat at the hands of Arsenal.
The 20-year-old is set for his first loan move away from Selhurst Park and is thought to be linking up with Gary Caldwell’s Exeter side. The Grecians require new shot-stoppers after the departure of both Viljami Sinisalo and Gary Woods.
Fan-favourite Sinisalo has returned to Aston Villa after his successful loan spell, and experienced goalkeeper Woods has left amid the expiry of his contract. That leaves Shaun MacDonald as their only available option in the net, a player who has not yet made his League One debut despite being on the books of both Cheltenham Town and now Exeter.
The Devon-based side are again looking towards the loan market as they look to bolster their options in goal for the upcoming 2024/25 League One campaign. Exeter will hope that highly-rated youngster Whitworth will fill that gap for the upcoming season.
The Crystal Palace under-21s Player of the Season is now set to finally gain some first-team experience out on loan, after being denied the opportunity to do so in the last window due to the Eagles’ lack of goalkeeping options.
Writer’s View
It was no secret that Exeter had been left with a massive hole in net following the expiry of Sinisalo’s loan deal with the club. The Finnish international was outstanding all season and made an impressive 50 appearances in all competitions, missing only one league game throughout the whole campaign.
With the Grecians following the same route that gave them so much success last season, Whitworth will have a lot of pressure on his shoulders if he is to live up to the high expectations his predecessor set. From Whitworth’s point of view, a move down South to Devon makes sense and could be a very sensible move for the 20-year-old if he wants to excel in his career even further.
According to Alan Nixon’s Patreon, both Doncaster Rovers and Shrewsbury Town were also interested in the goalkeeper’s services, and it looks like both Palace and Whitworth have chosen Exeter, a smart decision considering the success previous loanee keepers have had at St James Park.
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