Leeds United are reportedly keen to sign Karl Darlow from Newcastle United this summer.
Leeds finished in the bottom-half of the table after promising so much during the early weeks of the campaign, so Paul Heckingbottom and Victor Orta should have big plans in place at Elland Road – and signing a new goalkeeper should certainly be one of the priorities.
Bailey Peacock-Farrell could not have done too much more to stake a claim for the number one position considering that he spent much of the season jostling for a chance in the under-23 side. But sticking with the youngster next term could still be a big risk, and signing an established stopper who could be ready to hand over the gloves to Peacock-Farrell in a few years could be an extremely smart move.
And that is why signing Darlow could go down as one of the best deals that the Whites manage to do all summer if they are able to bag his signature, especially as the Chronicle reports that he is valued at just £2 million.
Darlow may have struggled for game-time at Newcastle this past season, but he was the Magpies’ number one during their promotion-winning campaign and arguably did not do a lot wrong when he did get a chance.
The 27-year-old may perhaps not be good enough to play regularly at the highest level, but Leeds fans and the Whites hierarchy should not have any qualms about the club paying £2 million for a player who certainly has the talent to be a star in the second tier.
Right now, the club will be dreaming about the day that they have to ask whether their players are good enough for the highest level. There may be a question mark over Darlow on that front, but he is the kind of goalkeeper that could certainly help the side get to the point where they need to ask those questions – and signing him for £2 million could prove to be a real masterstroke.
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