Why Celtic should reignite their interest in Jack Clarke
According to Football Insider (h/t Daily Express), former Premier League defender Alex Bruce has tipped Celtic boss Neil Lennon to complete the signing of Tottenham Hotspur youngster Jack Clarke.
The Hoops had earlier tried to land the promising Spurs winger during the January transfer window. However, no deal materialised as he instead joined Championship outfit Queens Park Rangers (QPR) on loan until the end of the season.
Celtic, meanwhile, are now looking to reignite their interest in the 19-year-old and bring him to Parkhead on a season-long loan deal by tempting Tottenham with a better offer.
Teenage winger Clarke, on the other hand, had joined Tottenham last summer after kickstarting his career with Leeds United last season. The young winger featured 25 times for the Whites, scoring two goals and giving as many assists. This saw him earn a move to Tottenham.
Despite signing for Spurs, Clarke was again sent back on loan to Elland Road in order to get more game time with the likes of wingers such as Lucas Moura, Heung-min Son, and Erik Lamela already in the side. Clarke, however, failed to emulate his performances from last season, making just three appearances in total. This saw him being recalled from his loan spell in January.
Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho, who was clearly not satisfied with Clarke’s first loan spell soon sent him to QPR in order to gain more regular time. However, Clarke is yet to stand out for the Championship outfit and has made just five appearances for them before coronavirus stopped play.
Clarke could be a perfect fit at Celtic
Meanwhile, Clarke is expected to return to his parent club when the season finishes.
Neil Lennon’s Celtic at the moment have four wingers in their midst, however, two of them – Mohamed Elyounoussi and Daniel Arzani are on loan from Southampton and Manchester City respectively.
The two youngsters are expected to return to their respective parent clubs at the end of this season, which leaves them with just two wingers – Maryan Shved and Mikey Johnston. Though Johnston has had a breakthrough campaign this season, making 11 league appearances, two goals and four assists to his name, Shved is yet to impress Lennon.
Hence, Celtic’s pursuit of their former target Clarke is understandable. Having proved his mettle already, Clarke looks like a perfect fit for Celtic, who are clearly in need of new faces on the flanks.
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Verdict
Celtic’s current situation depicts that the side is clearly in need of new wingers and Tottenham youngster Clarke seems like a good option. Hence, they should pay heed to Bruce’s words and land the talented youngster as soon as possible.
