Hull City pulled a blinder with short-term Newcastle United deal | OneFootball

Hull City signed Karl Darlow on loan during the 2022/23 season and it proved a successful move

Karl Darlow is currently playing second-fiddle to Illan Meslier at Leeds United, but just two seasons ago he proved his worth for one of the Whites' Yorkshire rivals, enjoying a fruitful spell at Hull City.

Darlow joined Liam Rosenior's side on a short-term loan in January 2023, and while it took him a little while to get up to speed at the MKM Stadium, it proved an excellent addition for the Tigers.

Hull had endured a bit of a goalkeeping crisis during the first half 2022/23 campaign, with Matt Ingram and Nathan Baxter sharing goalkeeping duties with neither player able to nail down a starting position, and it was clear Rosenior needed a January solution.

The Tigers turned to Premier League side Newcastle United for that solution, and Hull struck gold as they brought the experienced Darlow to the club.

Hull City had success with short-term Newcastle United solution

Thanks to a nine-year spell with Newcastle United and a number of loan spells, it's fair to say that Darlow is vastly experienced, and it looked a real coup for Hull to secure his signature in January 2023.

Darlow hadn't been playing at Newcastle, and he was clearly keen to get back on the pitch, but initially it looked like he'd struggle for playing time at the MKM Stadium, and he was an unused substitute for his four games at the club, with Ingram being favoured.

However, the Newcastle United loanee was selected for a game against Bristol City in February after Ingram had suffered an injury, and the Welsh international never looked back.

He started the next 12 games, keeping his place even after Ingram had recovered from his injury, and his form was impressive, keeping five clean sheets and conceding just 14 goals, an impressive record.

Perhaps even more impressive was that four of those goals he conceded came in one game as his side drew 4-4 with Sunderland at the Stadium of Light in a crazy game which summed up the unpredictability of the Championship.

Given the fact that Darlow has over 150 Championship appearances under his belt, it shouldn't be a surprise that he thrived on loan at the Tigers, and while he was only at the MKM Stadium for a couple of months, he'll be remembered fondly by Hull supporters thanks to his impressive performances.

Hull City may rue the fact they didn't sign Karl Darlow on a permanent basis

Such were the level of his performances on loan, Rosenior was keen to bring Darlow to the club on a permanent basis in the summer of 2023, but as we all know now, a move failed to materialise.

Darlow would instead join Leeds United, where he's really struggled for game time despite some questionable peformances from Meslier, and he may well regret not joining the Tigers on a permanent basis in hindsight.

Hull instead signed Ryan Allsop, who disappointed during his one season on Humberside, and he was sold to Birmingham City in the summer of 2024 following some poor performances.

The Tigers would have unquestionably been better off with Darlow instead of Allsop, and while he's currently struggling for minutes at Leeds, he's played well on the international stage for Wales since making his debut for Craig Bellamy's side, showing he could be number one somewhere.

Now 34, Darlow is still playing second-fiddle at Leeds, and it will frustrate him that he hasn't been given more of a chance at Elland Road when he possesses a wealth of Championship experience and Meslier has performed poorly.

Darlow impressed at Hull, and it was certainly a smart move to sign him from Newcastle in January 2023, but that just means there could be extra regret that they couldn't secure his signature on a permanent basis.