According to The Sun, Jack Clarke’s loan spell at Leeds United could be cut short as the winger is set to return to Tottenham Hotspur in January. The 18-year-old is yet to make a single appearance in the Championship and has been completely overlooked by Marcelo Bielsa. As a result, he is expected to return to North London, with Spurs set to trigger the recall clause.
Clarke’s struggles at Leeds
Clarke initially made his breakthrough at Leeds last season, making 22 league appearances as the club narrowly missed out on promotion. His promising displays attracted the interest of Tottenham as they signed him up for a fee of €11 million in the summer.
He was immediately loaned back to Leeds until the end of the campaign as it was going to get difficult for him to get regular game-time at Tottenham. However, at Leeds, the winger has made only two competitive appearances so far, both of which were in the EFL Cup.
Clarke has fallen behind Jack Harrison, Pablo Hernandez and Helder Costa in the pecking order. And it doesn’t look like changing anytime soon. Hence, a return to North London might be a logical move for the Leeds academy graduate.
How can Clarke strengthen Tottenham?
Clarke’s return to Tottenham will strengthen the depth in the attacking department for Mauricio Pochettino. The Lilywhites have struggled in the creative department, especially with both Giovani Lo Celso and Dele Alli failing to impress.
Lo Celso has recently been sidelined with an injury while Ali has failed to integrate to first-team football after a spell on the sidelines. The England international was miserable during Tottenham’s 2-2 draw with Olympiacos in midweek.
That being said, both Lucas Moura and Erik Lamela have proven themselves to be a reliable option in the attacking department. Additionally, Alli will no doubt remain a first-team option for Spurs despite his struggles. That means Clarke will have to compete with all three of these attackers along with Christian Eriksen to get a starting berth in the team.
At the same time, however, a return to Tottenham will help him gather some experience as he shares the dressing room with some of the most talented and well-established players in Europe. And with Eriksen facing an uncertain future at the club, Clarke is a prospect for the future for Spurs.
