Alex Pritchard was once seen as the future of Tottenham Hotspur but those days seems well past now. With Pritchard still harbouring hopes of succeeding at his boyhood club despite being left off their pre-season tour to Australia, it looks like there is not future left for the 23-year-old at White Hart Lane.
The Mirror claims that Spurs are prepared to let the attacking midfielder go if their £8m is met while there is a substantial interest from a number of clubs who are looking to secure the services of the flamboyant Englishman on a season-loan and Leeds are among those sides on alert.
After making a name for himself playing on loan for Swindon Town and then Brentford, Pritchard’s big break came last season when Pochettino opted to keep him at the club rather than shipping out on loan for another season. However, due to his misfortune with injuries, he failed to make the grade at his boyhood club and was once again loaned out in January, this time to fellow Premier League side West Brom.
A player with a tiny frame and just coming back from a long injury layoff is destined to fail at a club like West Brom whose game is all about physical presence. All things added up, Pritchard is now 23 and is not a player that would interest small Premier League clubs while £8m is an unrealistic fee for any Championship side. Even though a permanent move out of White Hart Lane would be beneficial for the English under-21 international’s career, he is unlikely to get one.
Leeds United do not have a single out and out number ten at their disposal right now and would really benefit from a creative player like Pritchard. The 23-year-old is well-known to Championship thanks to his brilliant loan spell with Brentford in the 2014-15 season. The youngster made a name for himself Football League Championship PFA Team of the Year that term thanks to his productive spell with the Bees with 12 goals and 7 assists from 47 games.
With a small frame of 5 ft 7 1⁄2 in, Pritchard has brilliant balance on the ball. Even though his primary position is just behind the striker, the Englishman is well capable of playing on the flanks as well. Leeds are in a desperate need for creativity in their midfield and Pritchard is able to provide Monk exactly that. A permanent deal is unlikely as Leeds spending £8m on a single player is a bit far-fetched but it could prove to be an excellent signing even on a temporary basis.
