Leeds United are seemingly getting linked with every out of favour goalkeeper in English football at the moment and the latest name to join the list is Newcastle United’s Karl Darlow. The Sun is reporting that the 28-year-old goalkeeper is a target for the Whites along with Aston Villa. Rated at £4m, a signing like Darlow can give a significant boost to United in their promotion pursuit.
It is not surprising at all that the West Yorkshire outfit are after a goalkeeper in January after the injury to Chelsea loanee Jamal Blackman who had to return back to London to continue his recovery.
Bailey Peacock Farrell got promoted to the first team last season under Paul Heckingbottom, and in that time, the 22-year-old has even gone on to represent Northern Ireland after his exploits at Elland Road.
However, the goalkeeper let his team down on some occasions, and Bielsa even went on to admit (Leeds Live) that he would have started Blackman in goal if not for his foot injury. That certainly shows that the manager had lost confidence on the goalkeeper, but Peacock Farrell has got a second shot to prove himself again.
Darlow was a no. 1 in goal for the Magpies at the beginning of last season, but the dynamics soon changed when Rafael Benitez brought in Martin Dubravka on loan in January. The Toon went on to sign the Slovakian international permanently in the summer, and he has continued as the first choice in goal for the Spanish manager this season.
The Magpies have plenty of cover in the goalkeeping department as they have the FIFA u-20 golden glove winner Freddie Woodman along with Rob Elliot. Therefore a good offer can definitely tempt the club to sell Darlow.
Darlow can be a game-changer in goal for the Whites as he has all the prerequisite skills needed in a top goalkeeper. The fact that he was a no. 1 for a club in the Premier League last season only shows his potential and he would definitely be an upgrade over Peacock Farrell whose form has been a bit indifferent.
However, with some cheaper alternatives available, it remains to be seen whether Bielsa would want to pay the reported £4m for the goalkeeper. However, signing Darlow would be top investment from the club, and the English custodian can go on to solve the goalkeeper problem for years to come.
Given that he is 28, the former Nottingham Forest player definitely has age on his side and is the perfect mix of youth plus experience. Elland Road will be bouncing if the Whites manage to pull this signing off.
