Credit: Imago

Jacob Raw

Sat 18 April 2026 9:40, UK

Leeds United goalkeeper Karl Darlow is attracting interest from fellow Premier League relegation rivals Tottenham Hotspur, and the 49ers would make a mistake by letting him leave.

The 35-year-old has had perhaps a more important role than most would have expected this season, playing a part in many league games for the Whites.

Daniel Farke has shown his trust in the former Newcastle star, who is out of contract at Elland Road this summer.

Spurs are interested in the Englishman regardless of which division they end up in, as a drop to the Championship would likely see his playing chances increase.

The 49ers have not offered Darlow a new deal yet, and that could have prevented any interest from Spurs in the first place.

Karl Darlow still Premier League quality

Darlow has battled with Lucas Perri for a starting spot this term, and has actually performed better than the Brazilian for the most part.

Perri arrived at Leeds this summer for a fee worth well over £10million, and has failed to convince Farke so far.

By no means is Darlow a spring chicken, however, he’s held his own in the Premier League and proved that he is capable of playing well at this level.

He is the perfect backup option to rely on when needed, and is someone who may be hard to replace, which may see the 49ers take some of the blame.

Darlow is still able to play at this level, but a move for Tottenham may make his demands go up in wage conversations with Leeds now.

The 49ers will only have themselves to blame if he leaves.

Are Leeds in the market for a new goalkeeper this summer?

The Whites were said not to be expecting movement in the goalkeeping department this summer before Darlow’s touted move to Spurs.

It’s not known if his exit would prompt a major overhaul, though he would need to be replaced. The problem Leeds have is that Perri was both a short-term and long-term investment, which the 49ers were hoping would pay off.

However, the shot-stopper isn’t going to leave Leeds for a profit this summer, which means the 49ers will have to tiptoe around any goalkeeping business.

A dip into the free agent market could be on the cards, but even then, it’ll still be hard to find another player like Darlow, especially one that could compete with Perri.