KARL DARLOW could be given permission to leave Newcastle United’s pre-season tour of the United States in order to complete a proposed move to Bournemouth.

Darlow was part of the Magpies squad that flew to the US yesterday ahead of Sunday’s opening game of the Premier League Summer Series against Aston Villa.

However, the goalkeeper is expected to leave Newcastle this summer, with Bournemouth now firm favourites to secure his services.

The Cherries have held discussions with Newcastle officials and Darlow’s representatives in the last 24 hours, and are close to agreeing a deal that would see the 32-year-old move to the Vitality Stadium.

The Magpies have been holding out for a significant fee for the shot-stopper, who still has two more years of his contract to run, with their financial demands having resulted in both Middlesbrough and Hull City walking away from negotiations earlier this summer.

Leeds United remain an interested party, but Bournemouth’s attempts to sign Darlow are now at a much more advanced stage and the south coast club would ideally like to wrap up a transfer in the next few days.

The situation is complicated by Darlow’s presence in the US, but Eddie Howe will allow the keeper to return to England in order to finalise a move if the financial elements of a deal are agreed.

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Newcastle took five goalkeepers to the States – Nick Pope, Martin Dubravka, Loris Karius and Mark Gillespie as well as Darlow – so while Pope’s ongoing recovery from hand surgery means he will not be involved in the opening game against Villa, and is unlikely to feature in any of United’s three games, Howe will hardly be short of options.

Karius’ name did not feature on the squad list that Newcastle published on their website, but the German, who signed a new one-year contract earlier this summer, is in the US and could feature in the Summer Series matches if required.

Discussions are continuing over Joelinton’s position, with the Brazilian having been unable to secure a visa to travel to the United States.

Joelinton spent Tuesday in London trying to resolve the situation, but he was not part of the group that landed in the US on Wednesday and it remains to be seen whether he is given permission to join up with the tour at a later stage.

Emil Krafth was part of the group that flew across the Atlantic as he continues his rehabilitation from long-term injury, and it is hoped that both Jamaal Lascelles and Jacob Murphy will be able to recover from the injury issues that kept them out of Tuesday’s win at Rangers in order to play at least some part in the Summer Series matches.