According to the latest reports from the Sun, Leeds United will look to bolster their squad in January after cutting short Jack Clarke’s loan spell by sending him to Tottenham Hotspur. The young winger is yet to feature in the Championship this season, and it has been surprising to see him not being involved in first-team football.
Clarke’s fall at Leeds United
Clarke had already sealed a £10m move to Tottenham, and he was immediately allowed to go back on loan to Leeds United. It looked like a clever deal at that point, but it seems like he has clearly fallen down the pecking order this season.
The Whites went on to sign Helder Costa from Wolves this window whose move will be made permanent next summer. Clarke was often used as an impact substitute by Bielsa last season, but that place has now seemingly gone to Costa.
However, Costa’s performances in his last two starts haven’t been encouraging, and we think that Clarke can still come in handy for the Whites. In a long season, the young English winger can make an impact, but the fact that he hasn’t even featured as a substitute suggests that he will continue to get ignored for game time.
Clarke’s directness, pace and dribbling skills can create problems for the opposition. One cannot blame Tottenham for recalling him back as they would want him to be at a club where he would get some minutes to continue with his development.
We think that things can still change if Bielsa starts giving the 18-year-old some sort of game time from now until December. Costa and Jack Harrison have looked listless in the last few games, and maybe someone like Clarke might be able to take this opportunity.
Which position might the Whites bolster?
The report mentions that the Whites will look to sign new players in January and it remains to be seen in which position they look to strengthen. Scoring goals seems to be a significant issue, and a proven attacker or striker could help them in getting promoted. Jack Harrison has looked average at best once again and getting an upgrade over him wouldn’t be a bad idea. We think that the club might look to add an option on the wings if they let Clarke leave this summer.
It will undoubtedly be a sorry state of affairs as one expected Clarke to kick on this season after his breakthrough campaign last year.
