Leeds United winger Jack Clarke is reportedly on the verge of completing a move to Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur.
Leeds United academy product Jack Clarke is seemingly on the verge of a big-time move to the Premier League and to Tottenham Hotspur at just the tender age of 18.
Leeds Live recently reported that Tottenham will complete the transfer of the highly-rated winger on Monday, with a fee thought to be in the region of £10 million plus add-ons.
It is a move that has sparked some strong and controversial comments by former Leeds man Danny Mills, who was insistent that Clarke’s career will ‘go backwards’ if he were to move to Tottenham because of the lack of games he will seemingly play in North London, as quoted by Sky Sports.
Whilst Mills comments may stir some people the wrong way, his summary of the situation is harsh, but the brutal truth because Clarke is taking a gamble that could result in very big consequences.
Last season, Clarke broke onto the Elland Road scene with devastating effect under the very demanding Marcelo Bielsa. A senior player would struggle under his stewardship, yet Clarke thrived when called upon.
His stunning goal against Aston Villa, from the bench when his team were 2-0 down in front of 42,000 supporters at Villa Park, was arguably his biggest moment in a Whites shirt and one that proved that he belonged on a big stage – Bielsa’s side went on to claim a quite remarkable 3-2 victory.
But Clarke is at the stage of his career where he needs to play, play and continue to play because from that he will have his great moments, and he will also falter and learn.
Mauricio Pochettino is one of the best coaches in Europe, but so is Bielsa, the man he looks up to. At Elland Road, Clarke would have been in safe hands, playing regularly and playing for a team that will be pushing for promotion next season.
Now, he could be in a situation where he could be fighting just to be on the bench, and whilst he’ll be training with great players on a weekly basis, one thing a young player should never do is stagnate their game time because it is the most crucial part of his development – Clarke was getting that with ease at Leeds, the same cannot be guaranteed with Spurs.
Nobody would criticise a player like Clarke for making a move to Tottenham, after all, it would be difficult to turn down such a lucrative move, but someone should have advised him a lot better. Jack Grealish stayed at Aston Villa after Tottenham’s interest last season, and he is now a much better player waiting to blossom in England’s top-flight ahead of the new campaign.
Clarke could have been in that situation, either with Leeds next season or with Tottenham at a later date. But dare it be said, Clarke would learn more and develop more with one more year at Leeds next season than one with Tottenham where he has to try and fit into such a demanding environment?
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