EXCLUSIVE: Newcastle close to agreeing second sale as Leeds hijack Bournemouth bid
Karl Darlow is leaning towards a summer move to Leeds United, despite serious interest from Bournemouth.
The Cherries have been in talks with Newcastle this week over a deal for the 32-year-old, but the Whites are back in the mix and the new favourites to land the goalkeeper.
Leeds suffered relegation to the Championship in May and are thought to be offering a lower salary than Bournemouth. However, the opportunity to play regular football at Elland Road appeals to the shot-stopper, with Illan Meslier expected to move. Bournemouth’s offer of Premier League football carries plenty of appeal, though he could find himself behind Brazilian stopper Neto.
Relocating to Yorkshire would also keep Darlow closer to the North-East, which has become his new home after nine years on Tyneside, where he’s started a family with fiancée Lucy.
Newcastle have been pushing for a fee in the region of £5m – a price that put off the likes of Hull City and Middlesbrough – but the club are likely to accept slightly less in order to move another senior player off the wage bill, with Allan Saint-Maximin also closing in on a £30m move to Al-Ahli.
After featuring in recent pre-season friendlies against Gateshead and Rangers, Darlow has been given permission to fly back from our USA camp and is expected to finalise his future in the coming days.