Neil Cutler: Walsall to bring in goalkeeper in coming days

The Saddlers have been on the hunt for a new shot-stopper ever since Neil Etheridge opted to leave the Banks’s Stadium in favour of a move to Cardiff.

Cutler, who is also Walsall’s goalkeeping coach, has a strict criteria for identifying new keepers, with the 40-year-old credited for transforming the careers of Etheridge as well as former number one Richard O’Donnell.

And the former Stoke man revealed he and boss Jon Whitney are delighted to land their new glovesman – with the signing due to be announced in the coming days.

“We are very close to confirming the signing of a new goalkeeper,” Cutler said. “We have verbally agreed a deal with our primary target and it’s just a case now of getting him in the building and signing the deal.

“It’s been an extensive process because I want a certain type of goalkeeper – one who has the criteria that is important to me. I’m looking for speed, agility, power, athleticism. I need to look at what they have done and where I can develop them. I need to be working with someone who has that drive, someone who wants to be a top keeper and is willing to work hard, improve and get better. We have found that now.”

Cutler said the new keeper fits in with the type of person he and boss Whitney want to bring to the Banks’s Stadium this summer.

“We want more leaders in the group because at times last season we lacked a bit of character when things were going again us,” he continued.

“We want to find players with the right work ethic, players who are motivated, will buy into what we are trying to do and who will strive to get better every single day.

“These special players take a little bit longer to find but we are finding them.

“We are really excited about the squad we are looking to build for next season.”