da bet7k： Jack Clarke’s return to Spurs has been confirmed, and we reckon that may not be a bad thing for Leeds United.
da doce： Last week we theorised that Clarke’s recall would alleviate some of the pressure that Leeds are under when it comes to their loanee situation and that this development may encourage United to dip back into the loan market.
Phil Hay then confirmed that Leeds could look to replace Clarke once the January transfer window opens.
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However, those ideas could be scuppered by a potential twist in the Kiko Casilla tale.
For anyone not in the loop on this one, or anyone that has simply forgotten, the Spaniard is staring a minimum six-game ban in the face after being accused of racially abusing Jonathan Leko earlier this season.
This ban could be as long as 12 games if the ruling comes down harshly on the stopper.
So how does this affect Leeds’ transfer mindset?
United are only allowed a maximum of five loanees in a matchday squad, as per EFL rules.
Fortunately, they’ve been able to hand Clarke a spot on the bench a number of times this term as another of their loanees, Illan Meslier, hasn’t featured in a single game either.
However, if Casilla is banned, Meslier will be called upon, and that means Leeds’ five loanee spots will pretty much be taken up by players in and around the starting XI.
Helder Costa, Jack Harrison and Ben White have played in every single league game for the Whites so far this term, and with Eddie Nketiah getting his first start on Sunday he could be in line for a more influential role in the coming weeks.
If Casilla is suspended for a lengthy period, dipping into the loan market for a Clarke replacement starts to look unlikely. If the goalkeeper does receive a 12-game ban with just 21 games to go in the league this term it’d mean that whoever Leeds bring in on loan won’t even be able to sit on the bench for the majority of his spell.
That means a permanent signing will most likely be required, but bearing in mind their current FFP situation, bringing players in won’t be straight forward.
In other news, Phil Hay reckons one Leeds man may have been waving goodbye on Sunday.