Manchester United are on the verge of signing Karl Darlow on a free transfer, according to reports. The veteran goalkeeper, currently at Leeds United, would come in as an experienced backup to Senne Lammens as United reshape their entire goalkeeping room this summer.
Andre Onana is already gone, back on loan to Trabzonspor for another season after spending 2025/26 there. The Cameroonian wanted to fight for his spot at Old Trafford but Lammens made that impossible with his play. Altay Bayindir is also expected to leave, with Besiktas and Fenerbahce both interested. Radek Vitek won Bristol City’s Player of the Year, Players’ Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year awards on loan in the Championship last season, and he’s likely on his way out too. Hull City and Coventry City have been linked with him.
That leaves United thin behind Lammens. Michael Carrick needs options, and the club wants someone with Premier League experience who qualifies as homegrown. Darlow fits. He took over as Leeds’ starter earlier this year and helped them stay up in the Premier League.
Laurie Whitwell at The Athletic reports the deal is close but not quite done. There are finer points still being worked out. Everton also looked at Darlow, who has 15 caps for Wales. Another name United considered was Sam Johnstone, who came up through their academy and now plays for Wolves with two years left on his deal. Johnstone is 33, same age as Darlow pretty much. But Darlow looks like the guy.
Darlow pushed Lucas Perri out of the lineup at Leeds and held the job down through a tense relegation fight. The Yorkshire club survived, and Darlow was a big reason why. Now he might be headed to the other side of the Pennines to compete for playing time in the Champions League.
More details to come as this one wraps up.
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