After being released by Middlesbrough, Joe Lumley spent part of the summer at Leeds United.
According to Phil Hay of the Athletic, Lumley trained with the rest of the squad at Thorp Arch before joining Southampton on a one-year agreement.
Throughout the transfer window, there had been some ambiguity around Leeds’ goalkeeper situation, with last season’s number one Illan Meslier likely to leave. Meslier, though, was never signed, with Leeds boss Angus Kinnear stating the club turned down an offer worth more than £20 million for the Frenchman.
Leeds did bring in an experienced goalkeeper to replace Joel Robles, with Karl Darlow having made the move.
move from Newcastle United. Leeds had Lumley in training before Southampton move
However, there is no doubt that Darlow made the move to Elland Road in order to be number one, something which hasn’t happened due to the retention of Meslier.
Darlow is almost certainly one of, if not the best number two in the division and someone you would feel comfortable with filling in occasionally in place of Meslier, certainly more so than Lumley.
It is likely that Leeds would have only taken Lumley had Meslier departed, in order to play second fiddle to Darlow.
He could’ve also provided an alternative to Darlow had they not been able to beat Bournemouth to his signature, which at one stage did look unlikely.
Lumley is now third choice at Southampton after making the move to St. Mary’s in the summer, with Gavin Bazunu and Alex McCarthy ahead of him.
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