Many Leeds United fans are too taken up by the ongoing Championship table and the fact that they have three huge fixtures in the coming days to be caught up in transfer rumours just yet, as the January transfer window looms ever closer.
One player that the fans may begrudgingly never see again at Elland Road is Eddie Nketiah, as local reporter turned The Athletic writer Phil Hay has moved to confirm earlier today.
Nketiah went to West Yorkshire on a seasons loan with glowing reference from Arsenal and their fan-base in the summer, but with only two starts to his name in a Leeds United shirt, both in the League Cup, the player and his parent club would prefer the striker to be gathering more first-team minutes as they bid to maximise the youngsters promise.
This is news that will upset the Leeds United faithful, as they see January as an important period in the clubs bid for promotion to the Premier League, but the club have moved to confirm that they do have targets should the 20-year-old leave for London.
Nketiah will not be the only Leeds United player heading back to the capital this winter, as Phil Hay also confirmed that Jack Clarke will return to White Heart Lane because of a lack of minuted under Marcelo Bielsa.
Rumours have been rife regarding possible recall for Clarke to his parent club, Tottenham Hotspur, after Leeds initially sold the winger to the Londoners for £10m in the summer and imediately loaned him back, but Clarke has failed to play any real part in The Whites campaign so far, so his Leeds United career will end in January, with Spurs looking to re-loan his elsewhere in order for him to gain much needed first team experience.
In Hays article, it is suggested that the Whites are set to lose out on both players due to their frustrating lack of playing time in West Yorkshire, so Leeds’ squad will look somewhat weaker should they not at real strength in the January sales.
The fan-base in Leeds have made their feelings pretty clear and are expecting enforcements to ensure their promotion party is not ended early… like last season.
also in this tale, latest on Nketiah. Arsenal yet to indicate their intentions to Leeds but some close to Nketiah suggest he’ll be going back too. Leeds ready to move for another forward if that happens.
— Phil Hay (@PhilHay_) December 26, 2019
So short-sighted. If they’d both got decent minutes they’d have stayed, but now no top clubs will loan their young players to Leeds. I’m an advocate of starting XIs being a meritocracy but it’s not like Eddie didn’t earn a few starts and Clarke was barely given a chance.
— Joe (@RedAndWhite11) December 26, 2019
https://twitter.com/paulmilner365/status/1210155633498087424?s=20
Absolutely gutted about Nketiah! Would have bagged a load of goals if he had more game time, gonna bite us in the arse
— James Jaffray (@jaffacakes1984) December 26, 2019
https://twitter.com/ashlaurenn_/status/1210163222206189568?s=20
https://twitter.com/helicoptersqua1/status/1210136260385419266?s=20
Wonder what went wrong with Jack Clarke – whether it was an attitude problem on his side, or if it was just because Leeds didn’t continue to really support his development (ie less incentive to risk him in big games when he’s not your player)
— Nathanael (@nathanaeluk) December 26, 2019
