Why Derby County should sign Jack Clarke on loan in January
According to Football Insider (h/t the Derby Telegraph), Derby County are interested in signing Tottenham Hotspur youngster Jack Clarke, who is currently on loan at Leeds United.
The 19-year-old winger is struggling for playing time at Leeds at the moment, having returned to Elland Road on loan from Tottenham in the summer transfer window. He has played just 19 minutes in the Championship for the Whites.
The likes of Middlesbrough and Fulham are interested in signing Jack Clarke on loan in the January transfer window, the report adds. (h/t the Derby Telegraph)
Clarke has started two Carabao Cup games but has had to make do with a spot on the bench in the league, with the report (h/t the Derby Telegraph) adding that Spurs want the young attacker to get regular game time at Championship level in order to develop.
That being said, Derby should go all out to sign Clarke on loan for the second half of the season.
Currently 16th in the Championship standings, the Rams will need to step up their performance levels if they are to have any chance of reaching the playoffs next May. They have been way too inconsistent under manager Phillip Cocu and that must change, especially with games set to come thick and fast.
Provided that they get their recruitment spot on in January, there is no reason why Derby cannot go on to achieve a relative amount of success during the remainder of the 2019/20 campaign.
One of the areas Cocu should address next month is the wide department, with none of Tom Lawrence, Mason Bennett or Florian Jozefzoon performing consistently.
That’s why the signing of Jack Clarke would make sense for the Rams. Clarke has made just one league appearance for Leeds and has been a permanent fixture on the bench, as was the case once again in the 3-3 draw against Cardiff City at Elland Road.
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Spurs loaned the teenager back to Leeds to play regularly this season but that hasn’t been the case. At Derby, Clarke is likely to get more opportunities to impress. There were high expectations from the talented youngster this term considering how he stepped in last season.
Verdict
The winger has enough quality to play a key role for Derby, who have not had a great first half of the season. Clarke could solve the Rams’ problems on a temporary basis, whilst adding quality and competition in the squad. Thus, the 19-year-old’s move to Pride Park for the rest of the 2019/20 season would be ideal for all parties involved.