Leeds United and Spurs agreement did not work despite Marcelo Bielsa factor | OneFootball

Jack Clarke's return to Leeds United on loan in 2019 was a disaster, as Marcelo Bielsa failed to maximise the talented winger

Leeds United and Marcelo Bielsa struck an agreement which saw Jack Clarke return on loan following his transfer to Tottenham Hotspur, but the deal soon proved a source of disappointment for all involved as the winger was unable to reignite his old Elland Road spark.

A product of Leeds' academy system, Clarke made the transition to the first-team mantle in Bielsa's opening campaign at the club. The York-born wide-man was something of a wildcard option from the bench for Leeds during the 2018/19 season, blitzing tired defences late on with his searing pace and directness to offer the Whites an added advantage in their promotion charge.

Of course, they fell agonisingly short of a return to the promised land at the hands of Derby County during the play-offs that year. However, the season was an overwhelming positive on a personal level for Clarke, whose return of two goals and two assists earned him an£8.5 million move to Spurs in the summer.

As part of the deal, Clarke immediately returned to West Yorkshire on loan for the season. The second time around, though, Clarke's flame faded and Bielsa, a manager of precious few faults, simply couldn't get the best out of the youngster's talents.

Leeds United, Marcelo Bielsa failed to get the best out of Jack Clarke following Tottenham Hotspur agreement

For all Clarke's quality, his return to Leeds was fleeting and thoroughly disappointing, marked by an inability to sustain match minutes despite making 25 appearances across all competitions during the previous breakout campaign.

Clarke, who was still a teenager at the time, played just once in the Championship in the first-half of the 2019/20 season before being recalled by Spurs ahead of the January window. His only outing in league action came as a substitute during a 2-1 win at Luton Town in November, where he played the final 19 minutes.

Instead, he predominantly found minutes turning out for Leeds' under-23 side, but it was a disappointing scenario for a player who had burned so brightly not even a year prior.

For one reason or another, Clarke just wasn't handed the opportunities by Bielsa to flourish and kick-on after completing his big-money move, and there was no surprise whatsoever when Spurs elected to exercise their recall option and bring him back to North London mid-way through the season.

The trajectory of Clarke's career following his miserable return to Leeds should really leave the club with a tinge of regret for failing to entrust and optimise him while he was theirs.

In all fairness, Clarke failed to pull up any trees in subsequent loan moves to QPR and Stoke City - although Leeds didn't give themselves the chance to find out if it could've played out differently on their end.

Sunderland, however, were treated to the full extent of the winger's extreme talents across a memorable two-and-a-half year stay on Wearside, which saw Clarke make over 100 appearances as they finally managed to escape League One before stabilising back in the Championship.

They bought him permanently in the summer of 2022 after a promising six-month loan spell from Spurs, where he helped them gain promotion from the third-tier through the play-offs. Interestingly, though, Clarke's output accelerated tenfold in the division above and he became one of the finest attackers in the Championship for two seasons.

In that time, he scored 27 goals and laid on a further 18 assists while tormenting full-backs with his speed and trickery on a week-by-week basis, transforming into the player which Leeds just never saw. Following a 15-goal haul in the 2023/24 season, Clarke finally left Wearside to join newly-promoted Premier League side Ipswich Town in a deal reportedly worth up to £20 million.

The 23-year-old has exhibited signs of real promise in the top-flight thus far, which should leave Leeds and Bielsa with a sense of regret at failing to get the very best out of him upon his return to the club.