Tottenham Hotspur’s pursuit of Jack Clarke appears to be never-ending, although it would seem one report is suggesting that it could finally be about to come to its conclusion.
According to The Express, we are thought to be closing in on a £15million deal for the Leeds United teenager, although there may be some doubt about the truth in their claims.
That is because the Yorkshire Evening Post claimed last week that we were unlikely to meet the Championship outfit’s valuation for the winger and now there appears to have been an added factor to a potential deal between the two sides that was not seen before.
Going back to The Express’ report, Spurs would be willing to meet that valuation and be prepared to send him back to Elland Road to continue his development next season. Now, we are in silly season at the moment so not a lot makes sense, but this one is head scratching at it’s best.
However, with all things considered, if that is what could happen, then it might not be a bad deal for Tottenham to strike this summer.
As we previously mentioned in an article on Vital Spurs, we do not feel as though Clarke is what Mauricio Pochettino currently needs, although, with the right guidance and development, he could become a star in the future.
So, sending the young lad back to Leeds could work wonders as he would be under Marcelo Bielsa for another year and the Argentine could perhaps bring the best out of him once again and help to take him up another level.
The 18-year-old had a standout year at Elland Road last season as he managed to break into the first-team, contributing with two goals and two assists in his 24 appearances in the Championship.
According to stats collected by WhoScored, Clarke managed an average of 1.1 successful dribbles per match and 0.7 key passes per game, something that would undoubtedly improve with more minutes in senior football.
Wing play has become a key part of Pochettino’s system over the years and if the young Englishman can improve on those passing aspects of his game, then perhaps he could become a real handful for defences in the Premier League in the next few years. He also fits the mould of the type of player we want in our side moving forward as he is a talented young prospect with plenty of years ahead of him (Independent).
Sending him back to Leeds could also work in Spurs’ favour in a number of ways as well, as the two managers have a special relationship whilst Clarke is obviously a young talent from the area that their fans have loved seeing come through the ranks.