Dwight McNeil would have been a better option for Tottenham Hotspur than Jack Clarke

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Tottenham Hotspur seemingly looked at Burnley’s Dwight McNeil before deciding to pursue a reported deal for Leeds United’s Jack Clarke.

It has been mooted for some time now, but Tottenham Hotspur are pretty close to securing the services of Leeds United’s highly-rated youngster Jack Clarke.

As reported by Sky Sports, Premier League side Tottenham are closing in on the signing of the 18-year-old Leeds academy product, but another report has stated that the North London club enquired about another winger in the Premier League.

The Sun on Sunday (30/6; page 59) has suggested that Spurs enquired about Burnley’s 19-year-old wideman Dwight McNeil before Mauricio Pochettino turned his attention to Clarke.

It is said that McNeil, who enjoyed a breakthrough campaign in England’s top-flight last term, is also being tracked by Serie A giants Juventus.

McNeil would have been the better option for Tottenham than Clarke, with his recent Premier League outing proof that he would have been ready to be part of Pochettino’s squad, compared with Clarke, who is seemingly going to head back on loan to Elland Road.

Both McNeil and Clarke are similar types of players, slim with a tall build and technically very strong with the ball at their feet. Added with that, they can both occupy both wings.

However, as McNeil proved last season, he is a lot more comfortable on the ball in a more demanding league and he proved to be a goal threat in a defensive-minded team.

Last term, the Rochdale-born player scored three goals and supplied five assists in 22 Premier League matches [transfermarkt] and it won’t be a surprise if he improves on those numbers next term.

In years to come, Tottenham may regret not pursuing a deal for McNeil because it can even be argued that the Burnley man can make more of a challenge for a place in Pochettino’s squad, at this moment in time, than Clarke.

Either way, the Champions League finalists looked at two high-quality players, who could find themselves in the senior England set-up in years to come.