Leeds United braced for bid as Tottenham Hotspur step up interest in Jack Clarke

United have yet to receive an official offer from Spurs but the Premier League club are targeting the 18-year-old’s signature after his breakthrough season at Elland Road.

Clarke earned his first-team debut for Leeds in October and made headlines with an impressive impact before Christmas, keeping United in the running for automatic promotion from the Championship.

The teenager’s talent has been talked about for some time and Manchester City were attempting to lure him from United’s academy before Leeds secured him on a professional contract in 2017.

His development and form under Marcelo Bielsa was affected by the illness which saw him rushed to hospital during the second half of a 1-1 draw at Middlesbrough in February but he has been on the radar of a number of top-flight clubs and Spurs appear to be at the front of the queue.

United have sold prominent players in both of the last two summer transfer windows, using the income to help fund their own transfer business, and owner Andrea Radrizzani admitted this week that the club were facing a “difficult” market before the start of next season.

The deal signed by Clarke in 2017 was announced as a four-year contract, running to 2021.