Mourinho confirms Tottenham plan for Jack Clarke after Leeds loan cut short

Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho has confirmed that the club plans to send Jack Clarke out on loan again for the second half of the season. 

The Leeds United academy graduate, who joined the North London club for a reported £10m fee in the summer, went back to Elland Road on a loan deal to continue his development under Marcelo Bielsa.

The respected Argentinian tactician, famously Mauricio Pochettino’s mentor, handed Clarke his Leeds debut last season as he enjoyed a breakthrough campaign for the club, putting in eye-catching early performances against Aston Villa and Derby County.

But he made just two starts on his return, both in the League Cup, while he made just one substitute appearance, amounting to 19 minutes, in their Championship campaign.

Leeds are now two players down on their squad, after confirming that striker Eddie Nketiah would return to Arsenal.

It’s expected that Nketiah will join the Whites’ Championship rivals Bristol City in the coming days, but it remains to be seen where Clarke will end up for the remainder of the campaign, although another Championship club has been touted.

Clarke is now eligible to make his debut for his parent club, but Mourinho sounds more keen to send him somewhere that would see him feature for more first-team minutes, reflecting on the frustration of the 19-year-old winger’s move back to Leeds.

“I know it’s finished (his loan), but the structure is looking for another loan where he can play,” said the Spurs boss in his pre-match press conference ahead of Sunday’s FA Cup clash with Middlesbrough.

“In this half-season, he was not playing much and the objective of a loan is for the players to play. A loan without minutes is frustration loan.

“One is enough so the next one we must be sure is a club and a manager that really wants him to play.”