Club chief says Newcastle United ace wants to join his club this summer

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Hull City’s vice-chairman Tan Kesler has admitted that talks are ongoing with Premier League outfit Newcastle United over a return to the Championship side for goalkeeper Karl Darlow. 

After nearly a decade at St James’ Park, one of Newcastle United’s longest serving players appears all-but certain to be saying his goodbyes this summer. 

The Northern Echo reports that Karl Darlow is likely to follow the recently-released Ciaran Clark and Matty Longstaff out the door, having fallen behind Nick Pope and Martin Dubravka in Eddie Howe’s pecking order. 

Darlow impressed during a loan spell at Hull City in the second half of last term. And The Tigers are making no secret of their desire to bring the former Nottingham Forest glovesman back to Humberside on a permanent basis. 

Karl Darlow likely to leave Newcastle

“I’ve been speaking with Newcastle,” Kesler tells Hull Live. “And Karl as well.” 

Hull will face competition, however, from a Middlesbrough team knocked out by Coventry City in the play-off semi-finals last year. Michael Carrick’s side recently lost Zack Steffen following his return to Manchester City. 

Kesler, however, is confident that Darlow will choose Hull over Middlesbrough.

“Karl’s intention is to come and stay with us,” the vice-president adds. “But it’s not a secret that Middlesbrough and other clubs are interested in signing him.

“That’s due to his personality, his achievements in the past and because of that. Newcastle have given him a very good contract which is something above Championship’s affordability.

“We’re trying to be creative and find ways to bring him on board. Neither Middlesbrough nor any other club without parachute payments can afford his full wages.

“We’re all in the mix. We would like to have him and we have spoken to him. And he would like to come. Ideally, we would like to generate a creative solution both for Newcastle and us, but we’re in discussions at the moment.

“At the moment, I can’t tell you he is coming or he’s not coming.” 

Kesler admits that, if Hull cannot find a way to bring Darlow back to the MKM Stadium, the Tigers may turn to Manchester United veteran Tom Heaton.

Newcastle, meanwhile, are weighing up whether or not to tie the out-of-contract Loris Karius down to a new deal.