Leeds United expect Tottenham Hotspur will trigger their recall clause in Jack Clarke’s temporary contract, according to Football Insider.
Clarke has continued to be frozen out of Marcelo Bielsa’s plans since returning to Elland Road on a one-season deal, following his potential £13million summer transfer to North London.
The Whites product has been awarded just three appearances in all competitions this term, with only one of those coming in the Championship, after Bielsa turned to Clarke from the bench during our 2-1 win away to Luton Town last month.
Clarke has been named among the substitutes for each of our second-tier fixtures since matchday nine, and Bielsa is understood to have been impressed by what he has seen from the 5 ft 11 winger in training.
His limited game time has seen club figures at Elland Road grow to anticipate Spurs triggering their recall clause in January, though, with multiple vultures now plotting swoops for the youngster struggling to play in West Yorkshire.
Several sides from the Championship, including Nottingham Forest, are credited with an interest in taking Clarke on loan should Spurs look to send him elsewhere in January, while a few Premier League outfits are believed to have signalled intrigue into his situation.
No top-flight club is currently named in Football Insider’s report, while Forest are the only second-tier outfit mentioned by name.
Would you miss Clarke if Spurs recall him?
Yes
No
Forest currently have four players on loan at the City Ground, meaning they have the potential to take Clarke on loan for the remainder of the campaign without the risk of falling foul of the EFL’s limit on loan players in a matchday squad.
The EFL’s limit of five loan players in a single teamsheet is what forced Bielsa to omit Clarke from his plans during the early stages of the campaign, as he favoured Helder Costa, Jack Harrison, Ben White, Illan Meslier and Eddie Nketiah among his 18-men.
In other Leeds United news, fans have been reacting to an update on reports linking the Whites with a £7m deal for a Premier League striker.