Why Leicester City should send Mitch Clark out on loan once again
According to StokeonTrentLive (h/t Leicestershire Live), Leicester City defender Mitch Clark has been told he can go out on loan again next season.
The statement was issued by Port Vale boss John Askey, who confirmed that the 21-year-old right-back had informed him when the two spoke about the latter’s future earlier this week. Clark had recently spent the second half of this season on loan at Vale, making four appearances for them in the league.
This is Clark’s second loan spell with the League Two side, having played the whole of last season for them. He impressed for Vale in his first season with them, featuring as many as 45 times across all competitions. The versatile full-back’s impressive displays at Vale soon earned him a move to Leicester the following summer.
However, he could not break into the first-team line-up and was a part of the club’s under-23 side. He excelled for Leicester’s reserve side, providing three assists from 15 Premier League 2 appearances before he was offloaded to Vale for a second time in January.
Clark surplus to requirements at Leicester City
At Leicester, Portuguese full-back Ricardo Pereira has established himself as the side’s first-choice right-back following a string of eye-catching displays.
The 26-year-old seemed to be in sensational form, racking up three goals and two assists from 28 league matches before his season was cut short by a cruciate ligament injury.
Pereira’s absence opened the doors for another youngster, James Justin, whom the Foxes had roped in last summer. The former Luton Town right-back has since then been a regular within Brendan Rodgers’ side and has made 9 Premier League appearances so far.
With the right-back spot looking well-stacked at the moment, first-team opportunities at Leicester look very rare for the young Clark. With as many as two established right-backs already in the side, Clark seems surplus to the club’s requirements at the moment.
Hence, a loan move for the versatile full-back seems like the best option at the moment as it will also improve his game and make him ready for the upcoming challenges at the King Power Stadium.
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Verdict
Leicester City have one of the best players at right-back in Pereira and it’s only a matter of time he makes a return from his injury. In such a case, sending Clark out on loan seems like the best option for both parties. Moreover, he is only 21 and still has plenty of time left in his career. A loan move, by all means, will offer him more regular time and develop his game.