Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly chasing the Leeds United starlet this summer, and the Whites have set out their demands.
According to a report from the Daily Mirror, Spurs could offer to loan Jack Clarke back to Leeds for next season as they look to convince the Whites to sell the teenage winger.
Clarke is on Mauricio Pochettino’s radar after an incredibly exciting first campaign in senior football. Following his debut in October, Clarke produced a number of outstanding displays, and changed games on a couple of occasions after coming off the bench for Marcelo Bielsa’s side.
His form, understandably, dipped after he was taken ill at Middlesbrough in February. But there is a lot of excitement amongst the Elland Road faithful about how good he could be with a full first-team pre-season under his belt. With that however, there is also a lot of concern.
The Daily Mirror reports that Tottenham want to sign Clarke and have been told by Leeds that they will have to pay £20 million if they want to take the 18-year-old to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The Mirror adds that Clarke could end up staying at Leeds next season on loan should he end up sealing a move to Spurs this summer. It is not entirely clear whether the Whites have suggested that that is one of the terms that they want, or whether Pochettino’s men are considering the option to help their cause.
In an ideal world for Leeds, they will hold onto Clarke for as long as possible. Along with Jamie Shackleton, he is a teenager with frightening potential. But those players are much less likely to stick around if they cannot end their top flight exile.
It would be interesting to find out what Leeds fans would make of the offer if Spurs made a £20 million bid that included a season-long loan deal for Clarke.
On paper, it may not benefit Leeds in the long-term to lose such an exciting talent. But having Clarke for one more year and £20 million to potentially spend on bolstering the squad would certainly leave the Whites with all the tools they need to get promoted.
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