Both Middlesbrough and West Brom have been handed a boost in their pursuit of Karl Darlow today, with the news via the Northern Echo that Newcastle will allow the player to leave this summer.

The player has managed nearly 100 appearances for the Toon since he was last shipped out on a loan deal to Nottingham Forest back in 2014. He's been in and out of the side but has mainly spent the last campaign as more of an understudy.

Now, with Newcastle seemingly having plans in place to sign a fresh shot-stopper such as Dean Henderson, it would likely push the 31-year-old even further down the pecking order.

 

 

Rather than keep him to merely have him sit on the bench or miss out on the squad entirely then, it looks as though Eddie Howe will allow the player to depart the club if someone makes a bid for his services. That seems likely this summer, with both Middlesbrough and West Brom believed to be keen to snap him up.

Boro are desperate for a new goalkeeper and Darlow would add bags of Premier League and Championship experience. West Brom are in a similar position, with Sam Johnstone set to depart at the end of his contract and David Button getting towards the back end of his career.

Both clubs then will seemingly have the chance to potentially sign the Newcastle United keeper this summer, with the Toon prepared to sell - and it could now be a case of who puts together the most tantalising offer for the shot-stopper.

The Verdict

Karl Darlow has been excellent in the Premier League, never mind the Championship, so if either club could snap him up then he could be a real shrewd addition to their sides.

The goalkeeper is also wanted by Man United but whether he would want to make the move to Old Trafford to merely play deputy to David De Gea is another matter. Both the Baggies and Boro would be prepared to play him on an almost regular basis no doubt, which would make a nice change from his recent time at Newcastle.

Both of those deals then could probably appeal more to Darlow considering he would get a lot more first-team action - it could just come down to which manager, squad and club he prepares then or perhaps who offers him a better financial deal. Either way, it looks like his time at Newcastle is up.

That doesn't mean Darlow is a bad goalkeeper though - the Toon are just moving on to new options. He could be excellent for either of the Championship clubs.