Celtic should sign Newcastle’s Darlow after Gordon criticism

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Celtic goalkeeper Craig Gordon has come in for repeated criticism from a number of pundits this season.

Celtic goalkeeper Craig Gordon has come under his fair share of critics this season, namely Hoops icon Chris Sutton following Paris Saint-Germain’s 7-1 win this month – should that convince Brendan Rodgers to look for a replacement?

Former Celtic striker Sutton was exasperated at the former Sunderland goalkeeper’s performance while commentating on the match for BT Sport, stating: “How many times this season have we seen him give the ball away? This is at a level where you get found out.”

It is not the first time the experienced goalkeeper has found himself the subject of criticism, with his performance in England’s 2-2 draw against Scotland back in the summer also seeing the spotlight on Gordon intensify.

Now, with the January transfer window approaching and a Europa League knockout campaign on the horizon, Rodgers must scour the market for a replacement in between the sticks.

The Evening Chronicle claim Newcastle goalkeeper Karl Darlow is one of six players the Toon will listen to offers for, despite Rafa Benitez recalling him to the starting line-up on Tuesday night against West Brom.

However, Newcastle are still expected to sign a goalkeeper in January and that makes the former Nottingham Forest stopper’s position at St. James’ Park expendable.

Known for his instinctive shot-stopping abilities, 27-year-old Darlow is very similar to Gordon in terms of a goalkeeper’s style, but he is simply much closer to his peak than Celtic’s first-choice.

Darlow offers similar height and build and would fit right at home in Rodgers’ system that uses Gordon to play out from the back with his feet.

The Sun reported back in the summer that Middlesbrough had a £5million bid rejected for Darlow, but a figure around that amount could tempt the Toon in January.

Adding Darlow would be the missing piece to Rodgers’ puzzle, making the Hoops much more solid at the back and giving them the best chance of going far in the Europa League.