Leeds United bargain Karl Darlow fee ‘revealed’ as Newcastle United boss confirms medical booked

Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe has confirmed Karl Darlow is travelling back to England to undergo a medical with Leeds United ahead of a proposed move to Elland Road.

Leeds looked set to miss out on the 32-year-old to Premier League outfit Bournemouth but the Whites pursuit of the player received a boost on Tuesday as the YEP revealed the two clubs in advanced talks over a permanent transfer.

The Cherries were interested in Darlow, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Hull City, but widespread reports claim they are on the cusp of signing Inter Milan’s Romanian international goalkeeper Ionut Radu.

With Darlow heading to Leeds on a permanent deal, Sky Sports Keith Downie has reported the fee is approximately £400k. It marks a reasonable price for a goalkeeper with 245 career appearances to his name and with plenty of experience in the Premier League and Championship. Reports earlier this month claimed Newcastle were set to demand as much as £5m for the player.

Howe was speaking after Newcastle’s 1-1 draw with Chelsea in the Premier League Summer Series in the United States. He had addressed Darlow’s future before the game, as he explained the reasons for selling the goalkeeper.

He said: “Karl will certainly go with our best wishes. He has been an incredible servant to the football club. We value him, but we can’t carry a team of five goalkeepers.”

The player has been the subject of interest from a number of clubs this summer, including Hull City and Middlesbrough. However, it appears Darlow will be a Leeds player next season barring any hiccups with his medical.

Leeds have two pre-season games remaining before they kick off their Championship campaign against Cardiff City next month. They face Nottingham Forest this evening before a trip to Edinburgh to face Hearts on Sunday.

The Whites are short in the goalkeeping department with Joel Robles opting not to take up an invite to return to pre-season following his release while Illan Meslier’s future remains up in the air.

Addressing the Frenchman’s future, our very own Graham Smyth told the YEP’s Inside Elland Road Podcast: “You’ve got an interesting situation. You got Meslier who we all thought, gone. Nobody has come in with an offer to change the situation. Farke likes him, from what I’m told. We could have a situation in which it is Meslier vs Darlow.”