Jack Clarke has completed a £9 million ($11m) move to Tottenham, but will spend the 2019-20 campaign back on loan at Leeds.
The 18-year-old winger has been acquired by Spurs with one eye on the future and he has just one season of senior football to his name, having stepped out of a famed academy system at Elland Road in 2018-19.
His professional debut was made in October last year, before he went on take in a further 23 appearances.
Clarke caught the eye with his energy and creativity on the flanks, with talk of Premier League interest quickly sparked. Tottenham surged to the front of the transfer queue and have been working on a deal for some time.
They have now got an agreement over the line, with Clarke set to form part of their plans in the years to come after signing a contract through to 2023.
Mauricio Pochettino will not have the youngster at his disposal next term, though, as a deal to immediately loan him back to Leeds has been struck.
Clarke told Spurs’ official website: “I’m delighted to join Tottenham and in the short term I’ll be giving my all to hopefully help Leeds win promotion.”
The Whites came agonisingly close to securing a return to the Premier League last season.
Clarke contributed to efforts that had Marcelo Bielsa’s side sat in the automatic places for long periods, however, they finished third and suffered play-off semi-final heartache against Derby.
Clarke offered enough over the course of the campaign to suggest that he was destined for big things and he was named Leeds’ Young Player of the Year, with a Yorkshire native proving to be a home-grown star.
The Whites will get just 12 more months out of him, though, before a new chapter in his career is opened at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Spurs will be hoping to see Clarke enjoy similar success to Danny Rose and Aaron Lennon, who have taken similar paths from Elland Road to north London in the past.
Pochettino will also be looking for plenty more deals to be done by Tottenham over the coming weeks.
Having gone two windows without making any additions at all, Clarke has becoming Spurs’ first signing since Lucas Moura some 17 months ago.
