Aston Villa should beat Leeds United to sign Karl Darlow from Newcastle

According to the Sun, Leeds United and Aston Villa are set to battle it out for Newcastle United outcast Karl Darlow in January.

The same report claims that Darlow is rated at £4million by the Tyneside club and both the promotion-chasing sides in the Championship are keen to bolster their options between the sticks.

The injury to Jamaal Blackman forced him to return to his parent club Chelsea, dealing a huge blow to Marcelo Bielsa’s quest for promotion. Bailey Peacock-Farrell has caught the eye with some exceptional saves this season but the Northern Irishman has had a mixed time between the sticks, evoking widespread criticism for some bizarre moments in crucial games.

While Leeds have academy product Will Huffer, 20, as the only back-up, Aston Villa boss Deam Smith is not at all convinced with by Orjan Nyland’s performances between the sticks and he wants to provide some cover and competition for the Norwegian shot-stopper. (h/t Sun)

Darlow, who was signed by Newcastle from Nottingham Forest back in 2014 after a couple of loan stints at Walsall, has struggled to establish himself as the first-choice stop stopper at Tyneside. The Englishman’s involvement has been limited to only a single appearance in the Carabao Cup this season, having fallen out of favour in the Premier League following the arrival of Martin Dubravka in the summer.

Darlow, who was one of the heroes of Newcastle’s promotion-winning 2016-17 season in the Championship, made 10 appearances for the Magpies in the Premier League last season.

Newcastle are already well-stocked in the goalkeeping department with Martin Dubravka performing at the peak of his powers this season. Rob Elliot is another decent option in their ranks while England U21 international Freddie Woodman is also a realistic choice.

Hence, a move to either of the promotion-seeking Championship outfits will be ideal for Newcastle’s out of favour star Karl Darlow. He is not likely to get much first-team action at Tyneside and a move away from St.James’ Park will be a win-win situation for all parties involved.

To put things into perspective, Aston Villa can do a world of good to their chances of securing promotion if they can beat the Peacocks to sign the English shot-stopper. Darlow was a key member of Newcastle’s promotion-winning side and he would certainly be a handy addition to Dean Smith’s squad as well.

Meanwhile, Aston Villa have been hit hard by the lacklustre performances of Orjan Nyland between the sticks. The Norwegian has not only lacked that commanding presence in the penalty area but he has also let the team down with his rusty reactions and poor handling from long-range shots.

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As much as Villa’s leaky backline is to be blamed for shipping 41 goals from 21 games, Nyland deserves a fair share of the criticism for letting a lot of rather straightforward attempts find the back of his net.

Dean Smith’s side are currently 8th in the standings and they need a reliable presence between the sticks to enhance their chances of securing promotion. Karl Darlow has a safe pair of hands and is definitely a decent option for that purpose.