Marcelo Bielsa has brought through a number of top quality Leeds United academy players this season, with Jack Clarke a reported target for Tottenham Hotspur.
TalkSport pundit Danny Mills has warned Tottenham Hotspur target Jack Clarke to stay at Elland Road as he stated that the ‘problem’ with Leeds United’s academy is they allow ‘too many players’ to leave ‘too soon’.
The Daily Mail recently claimed that Premier League side Tottenham have made a £10 million bid for the 19-year-old as they aim to nurture the wonderkid.
It is said that Leeds failing to earn promotion may result in them having to sell some of their young stars to balance the books after Derby County knocked them out of playoffs in specular fashion over a fortnight ago.
Speaking to Drivetime on TalkSport (23/05/2019 at 5:50 pm), former England defender Mills shared his thoughts on Leeds’ academy and their highly-rated youngster Clarke.
On Leeds bringing young players through & Clarke being linked with Tottenham: “Leeds have got to be very, very careful and young players have to be careful,” Mills told TalkSport. “The Leeds academy system, whether it be luck or judgement has always produced an incredible amount of players. It’s a massive catchment area. It’s the biggest club in Yorkshire by far.
“They have always produced great players, but too many players at Leeds have left too soon and that’s a problem. It’s difficult. You need the right information. You need the agents not going for the money early on. It’s easy to say, we’ll double, treble and quadrable your wages and you’re going to a Premier League side. You then sit on the bench.
“Jack Clarke needs to play. I’ve not seen enough of him yet, constantly to say ‘yes, he’s worthy of a Premier League club’.”
James Milner, Fabian Delph, Charlie Taylor and Lewis Cook are just a number of players that have come through Leeds ranks and are now playing in the Premier League.
Since Marcelo Bielsa’s arrival last summer, he has worked with a limited budget, small squad and has brought through a number of young players.
Both Bielsa and the Leeds supporters will be keen to add to their squad, rather than sell their talents because they want to take that next step in their quest to reach the Premier League.
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