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Leeds United have officially announced that goalkeeper Karl Darlow has left the club following the expiration of his contract, despite being offered a new deal. The 35-year-old has opted to join Manchester United, where he will serve as a back-up to the first-choice goalkeeper.

In a statement, the club confirmed that Darlow decided to take on a new challenge and departs with their best wishes for the future.

Darlow joined Leeds ahead of the 2023/24 season and made his debut in a League Cup victory over Shrewsbury Town. During the following campaign, he started in the final seven Championship fixtures, helping Leeds win six of them and secure the title at Plymouth Argyle on the final day of the season.

That same year, Darlow earned his first cap for Wales in a 2-1 away win against Montenegro, following in the footsteps of his grandfather. Since then, he has gone on to make 15 international appearances and has established himself as Cymru’s first-choice goalkeeper.

With Leeds returning to the Premier League, Darlow featured 22 times last season and was recognised with April’s Save of the Month award for his remarkable point-blank save against Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Ladislav Krejci. He leaves the club with 38 appearances in total and is praised by Leeds for his professionalism and involvement in community initiatives. Darlow played a vital role in the club’s 2024/25 Championship title success and their subsequent top-flight survival campaign.

Leeds are expected to bring in a new goalkeeper during the summer transfer window. Following Illan Meslier’s move to Arsenal and Darlow’s exit, manager Daniel Farke currently has Lucas Perri and Alex Cairns as his goalkeeping options until reinforcements arrive.