Transfer expert shares what Leeds might be forced to do if Clarke is recalled
Many Leeds United fans will have accepted the inevitability that Jack Clarke will most likely be recalled by Tottenham in January.
The 19-year-old has yet to make a single start in the Championship and has only completed 19 minutes in one substitute appearance against Luton.
Clarke has had to settle for game time in the under-23s under Carlos Corberan despite making a big-money summer move to Spurs.
He was dropped from the squad for the game against Fulham in a clear sign that he’s likely played his last for Leeds.
The Sun journalist Alan Nixon answered a fan’s question on his personal Twitter account and said they might have to replace Clarke with another academy player after January.
“Might just promote from within,” Nixon said. “Hard to get a club to loan a player to you who won’t play. Hard to get a player to come on that basis either,” he added.
It should come as no surprise should the winger get recalled next month, especially given his lack of first-team minutes.
We were at the Lancashire FA Stadium on Monday to watch Clarke complete 90 minutes in the 5-1 victory over Bolton, and the winger handed Marcelo Bielsa a timely reminder of why we could regret losing him next month.
Clarke was at the heart of everything and was superb, scoring a goal, delivering an assist and simply tormenting the Bolton defence all evening.
Leeds could well regret losing Clarke, and whilst promoting from the under-23s has worked before, it could be the wrong time to rely on a youngster in the promotion race this season.
Like Nixon said, though, it’s going to be tough to get a quality replacement in when both club and incoming player know they’re not going to start.
In other Leeds United news, ‘From what I know’ – Phil Hay shares details of Bielsa contract at Leeds