Tottenham to recall Jack Clarke from Leeds, with eye to another Championship loan in January

Tottenham made four signings in this summer’s transfer window, but the one player whom we haven’t seen yet is Jack Clarke. The young Leeds attacking midfielder was signed and then immediately loaned back to Elland Road, with the idea being that he’d be able to continue to develop under Marcelo Bielsa at the team in which he broke out of last season.

It hasn’t worked out that way. Thanks to Leeds bringing in five other loanees this summer, Clarke has barely gotten a sniff of the first team this fall since the Championship has limits on the number of loan players you can play in a match. There have been rumors that Spurs were planning on recalling Clarke in January, and now according to Phil Hay in the Athletic ($) it appears to be accurate.

Hay is the former lead football writer for the Yorkshire Post and one of the best sources for Yorkshire area football in England. There’s no reason to think that this won’t happen now — Hay reports that Clarke will return to train with Spurs under Jose Mourinho and that Spurs will look for another Championship loan for him at the end of January where he can get some actual first team experience. That probably means a lower-table Championship side, but considering his promise there’s probably going to be any number of teams that would take him.

And according to Twitter, Leeds has also now confirmed that he will be returning to Spurs. This tweet contains a photo of what looks like the Leeds match-day program for today’s home match against Preston North End.

Clarke has always been one for the future and there was little chance he’d have any impact on Spurs’ first team, but at least now he’ll get some training under Mourinho and hopefully another chance to continue his development on loan.