Leeds United signing could still prove his worth but a transfer blow has to happen first | OneFootball

Karl Darlow was a sought after man last summer following his loan spell at Hull City.

The shot-stopper played well for the Tigers as they enjoyed an impressive second half of the campaign.

During his six months at the MKM Stadium, the 33-year-old featured 12 times, helping Liam Rosenior’s team finish 15th in the table.

Hull were one of multiple clubs interested in signing the goalkeeper from Newcastle United on a permanent basis in the previous transfer window, but Leeds United won the race to his signature.

However, the Englishman has yet to feature for Daniel Farke’s side in the Championship.

Instead, Illan Meslier has remained the first-choice between the sticks at Elland Road.

It is no surprise that the German prefers Meslier to Darlow at the moment, but it is a surprise that the 23-year-old is still a part of the Yorkshire outfit.

There was a lot of speculation surrounding the Frenchman’s future following the club’s relegation from the Premier League.

Mesler had even been dropped by Sam Allardyce in the closing weeks of the campaign leading up to their 19th place finish in the top flight table.

Darlow must have signed for Leeds under the impression that Meslier may depart and that he would be given the chance to earn game time under Farke.

In that regard, his arrival has been quite a disappointment as he has only made two appearances for the club in all competitions.

His last competitive appearance came in a 1-1 draw with Salford City in which Leeds were eliminated from the EFL Cup through a penalty shootout.

A January opportunity for Darlow

However, the January transfer window may offer an opportunity for Darlow as Meslier may yet attract further transfer attention.

It would be a blow to Leeds’ promotion battle if Meslier was to be sold, but it would give Darlow the chance to prove himself as a first-choice goalkeeper at a high level.

Darlow’s performances for Hull last season showed that he can still compete at this level, and his shot-stopping ability is up there with anyone in the division.

The veteran goalkeeper may need to work on his ability on the ball to be better suited to Farke’s style of play.

But Leeds should feel alright about the potential departure of Meslier in the knowledge that Darlow offers the club a safe pair of hands as his deputy.

It was reported in September that the third place club is expecting to cash in on the player this winter.

Some supporters may be wary of this.

But his high valuation could give Leeds the opportunity to earn money that can be reinvested back into improving the first team squad elsewhere.

Given how important Joe Rodon has been while on loan from Tottenham, it could even help fund a permanent move for the centre-back.