Manchester United are close to closing the signing of goalkeeper Karl Darlow on a free transfer.
There are still finer points to be resolved, but United are in the advanced stages of bringing Darlow to the club. Senne Lammens needs support next season and Altay Bayindir is expected to leave.
The Athletic reported last month that United were weighing a move for Darlow, 35, who is a free agent this summer after his contract with Leeds United expired. He joins a small list of players who have swapped Elland Road for Old Trafford, including Rio Ferdinand, Gordon McQueen and Alan Smith.
Everton also explored a move for Darlow, a 15-time Wales cap. Another option for United was Sam Johnstone, who has two years left on his contract at Wolverhampton Wanderers. Johnstone, 33, began his career in United’s academy.
United wanted an experienced goalkeeper, ideally with Premier League pedigree and domestic qualification, to help bring in Lammens and rotate as needed with the club in the Champions League next season.
Darlow unseated summer signing Lucas Perri as Leeds’ first-choice goalkeeper in the 2025-26 campaign, starting every game from mid-January until the end of the season.
Leeds only suffered four defeats in that 17-match run, with Daniel Farke’s side retaining their Premier League status with a 14th-place finish.
Upon making the goalkeeping switch in January, Farke said he felt the need to take Perri “out of the spotlight” after he “perhaps hadn’t delivered, performance-wise, what we expected.”
He added that Darlow is a “solid and very reliable goalkeeper, who was fantastic for us last season”, having started all seven of Leeds’ games in their run to the Championship title in 2024-25.
Darlow has made 38 appearances for Leeds since joining the club from Newcastle United in 2023 on a three-year deal. He made 111 appearances for Nottingham Forest early in his career and spent nine years at Newcastle, where he appeared 100 times, before joining Leeds.
United settled on Lammens as their first-choice goalkeeper following his move from Royal Antwerp in September 2025, in a deal worth €21m (£18.2m) plus €4m in add-ons.
Andre Onana spent the 2025-26 season on loan at Trabzonspor, while Bayindir has not replaced Lammens since the Belgian joined the team. Onana has agreed another loan to Trabzonspor.
Radek Vitek, named Bristol City player of the year after an excellent loan, is the subject of interest from several clubs. He is expected to leave United on loan or permanently to earn regular minutes.
Tom Heaton, 40, signed a new one-year deal with United and will provide important training support, while Dermot Mee, 23, signed a new two-year deal last week and is a valuable member of the goalkeeping department.
