OPINION
Leeds owner Andrea Radrizzani is set for his biggest Leeds test yet if a report from Sun journalist Michael Morgan is correct.
He claims that Manchester City will make a move for Leeds whizkid Jack Clarke in the January transfer window, after monitoring him for 13 months.
Clarke has been wowing the Leeds fans for the past few weeks after breaking through into the first-team and it seems like they’re not the only people that have seen the potential in the 18-year-old.
Radrizzani has huge ambition at Leeds. He brought Marcelo Bielsa in and wants to get back into the Premier League and return Leeds to the glory days of old.
Clarke could be a big part of that future. And the impending Man City bid has to represent the biggest test of Radrizzani’s time at Elland Road.
Clarke is under contract until 2021 so Leeds would be able to demand a significant fee for him.
But why would they want to sell a player who could go on to be a new Premier League superstar?
Bielsa’s job will be to convince Clarke that his best future lies at Leeds and get him to commit to a new contract. But if Man City come in with a big-money offer it’s going to be hard to turn it down and hard for Clarke to pass up such a lucrative opportunity.
It’s essential that Leeds do hold on though. What message does it send out if you sell your hottest prospect as you look to get promoted?
Radrizzani doesn’t want to be part of a club that constantly yo-yos between the Premier League and the Championship.
And he must join forces with Bielsa and batten down the hatches against any Man City onslaught this January.
If there’s no way of avoiding a deal then there is one other solution that would work well for Leeds – Clarke should come straight back on loan and develop at Leeds for the next 18 months.
And Leeds must get another Man City player on loan until the end of the season to help the promotion push.
If Radrizzani can do either of those two things – hold or negotiate an amazing deal – he’ll prove his worth at the club.