Leeds United 'poised' to give Karl Darlow a new contract with free agent status looming
A fresh claim over Leeds United’s stance on Karl Darlow as his contract nears expiry
Leeds United are reportedly poised to hand a new one-year contract to veteran goalkeeper Karl Darlow.
The 35-year-old penned a three-year deal at Elland Road back in 2023, when he was signed from Newcastle United.
He joined amid uncertainty over the future of Illan Meslier only for the Frenchman to stay put, putting Darlow in the understudy role. Darlow eventually dislodged Meslier between the sticks and has fended off competition from Lucas Perri this season.
His recent displays have drawn plenty of praise, as well as calls for a contract renewal with his deal due to expire next month.
Leeds United’s Karl Darlow plan outlined
According to TEAMtalk, Leeds are set to reward Darlow for his reliability with a new one-year deal.
It has been suggested the Whites would still like to recruit a new number one this summer, but that they would also like Darlow to stick around.
The report has claimed a source has described Darlow as “immense” and someone who has been a “real glue” in the squad.
Darlow has also established himself as the first-choice goalkeeper for the Wales national team having switched his international allegiance in 2024.
Leeds United icon’s verdict on Karl Darlow
The offer of a new deal to Darlow in would please Whites icon Tony Dorigo, who told The Yorkshire Post he felt the goalkeeper deserved to stay in LS11 earlier this month.
He said: “For me, [he] most definitely [deserves a new deal]. I mean, if you think of the the issues we had with the form of our ‘keepers, whether it was Meslier, whether it was Perri, for him to come in, there's a lot of pressure on his shoulders.
“When he came, he didn't play much at all, and all of a sudden, you put him in that sort of arena under that sort of pressure and he's come through it, time and time again. It's interesting because I always think with great ‘keepers, it's not actually about all the incredible saves you make. It's more the mistakes you don't.
“I think it's those that are steady as a rock. You know exactly what they're going to do. Darlow falls into that category. I think he’s been really solid for us. It's clear the defenders feel confident in him and vice versa, I think that sort of ‘keeper is always valuable.
“Whether it's as number one or two, who knows, that's up to the manager, but I think as a character and with what he's done, he's been very impressive.”