Noel Whelan delighted Leeds will reportedly keep Jack Clarke on loan

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Leeds United are reportedly set to sell Jack Clarke to Tottenham Hotspur, but immediately bring the winger back to Elland Road on loan.

Noel Whelan has told BBC Radio Leeds that it is great for Leeds that Jack Clarke is reportedly set to return to Elland Road on loan immediately after completing his permanent move to Tottenham this summer.

The Guardian reported at the weekend that Spurs are set to sign Clarke for an initial £10 million in a deal that could rise to £11.5 million with add-ons. One of the terms of the expected deal however, is that the teenager will return to Leeds for a season-long loan.

Whelan believes that the move works for all parties, but warned Clarke that the pressure will still be on following his eight-figure move to the Champions League finalists.

“It’s great. It’s a big season for him because even though he’s coming back to Leeds possibly, he’s going to have that pressure of being a big-money signing,” he told BBC Radio Leeds.

“So it’s how he can handle that. We know he started five games last year, he did okay. There were glimpses where he changed games and brightened it up a little bit. He’s a work in progress. He’s not the finished article. At least he’ll be coming back to a club where he feels happy.”

The reports that Clarke will return on loan have upset a number of Tottenham fans who are craving signings who can make an impact for Mauricio Pochettino’s men during this coming season.

But with Clarke struggling to regain his initial form towards the end of last season, it does appear to suit everyone for the 18-year-old to spend another year in the Championship where he can enjoy more minutes out on the pitch and have a slightly easier time against opposition full-backs.

And while Clarke’s long-term future lies elsewhere, Leeds fans will be hoping that he can sign off by helping Marcelo Bielsa’s side book their ticket to the top flight ahead of the campaign in which he will make his bow at England’s top table.