When Noel Whelan spoke exclusively to Football Insider, he was adamant that Tottenham Hotspur loanee Jack Clarke will not remain at Leeds United beyond the January transfer window.
Whelan has said that Tottenham “aren’t going to be happy” with Clarke’s lack of game time under Marcelo Bielsa, with the 19-year-old only playing once in the Championship. He also accused the winger of quitting Leeds and that was clear to see; strong words about such a young player.
Here’s what the pundit had to say:
“He’s quitting Leeds, that’s clear to see,”
“He’s not playing and Tottenham aren’t going to be happy with that.
“Jack Clarke’s very much down the pecking order and the only way that will change is if there are injuries. Otherwise, Marcelo Bielsa doesn’t really change his team.
“We can afford to let him go, but we need to replace him. Not necessarily with a winger, we have wide men. Maybe a centre-back or a midfielder.
“We have plenty of wide man, and [Ezgjan] Alioski can play there as well.”
Would Leeds miss Jack Clarke if he were to be recalled in January?
Yes
No
The teenager has played just 19 minutes in the league this season, one of the lowest in the whole Leeds squad, with Tyler Roberts who himself hasn’t played loads of games, still managing to play 393 minutes.
Verdict
It’s unlikely that Tottenham Hotspur will recall Jack Clarke in order to use him in their squad, but it would not be a surprise if they did take him away from Elland Road. What will most likely be the case is that Spurs will look to re-loan the 19-year-old to another Championship side, something that may not prove to be too difficult to do. This could be seen as poor player management from Marcelo Bielsa, however, if the manager isn’t keen on a player, he just won’t be using him and we can’t see anything massively changing before January.
According to Whelan, fans shouldn’t be worried as he believes Leeds “can afford to let him go” and with Bielsa’s options on the wings, it would not be too difficult to agree with that particular statement. With Helder Costa and Jack Harrison both capable of playing out-wide, it’s hardly difficult to replace Clarke and both of the players mentioned are likely to be an upgrade considering their age and exposure to the Championship at a more regular basis.