What to know about Leicester transfer target Jack Clarke

The King Power side remains locked just above the relegation zone, but they are finding it difficult to increase the gap meaningfully. This is the conundrum faced by Steve Cooper as he tip-toes into a tougher run of fixtures running into the January transfer market.

As such, it is unsurprising that Cooper's team has been searching for new signings. Particularly, the Foxes seem interested in attacking talent despite their defensive weaknesses continuing to be on display for the season thus far. Preferably, that should be the position Leicester look at.

Leicester City interested in Leeds United graduate

According to reports, Leicester City are watching the situation of Ipswich Town left-midfielder/winger Jack Clarke as the player was of interest to them in the prior window. Of course, the King Power side opted instead to bring in a combination of Jordan Ayew and Bobby De-Cordova Reid instead of investing in competition for Stephy Mavididi.

Clarke is a graduate of the Leeds United academy, having left for Tottenham Hotspur and then most recently performing well for Sunderland before his switch to the newly promoted Premier League side. The player is certainly intriguing, so let us explore what makes the pride of the East Midlands interested and what the player could offer to Steve Cooper.

If you just observe this season, Clarke's attacking output appears deathly negligible and definitively useless for a side struggling to maintain a consistent impact in matches. However, compare that to his last campaign in a dominant Championship side, and we see a clearer picture of what the player is about.

The Foxes will have identified his 15 goals and four assists in 40 Championship matches as a great contribution to his team. On top of this, stylistically the Englishman offers a progressive carrier of the ball who does well to retain it with skilful take-ons, explosive carries, and maturity in holding up opponents.

One thing Leicester City has struggled with on the attack is that level of retaining the ball under immense pressure when in the final third. We often give the ball away due to 'that one final pass' or a failure to take-on an opponent, beat them, and then get a cross in. This is exactly what Clarke does exceptionally.

We have seen little of that promising intent from the attacker in this campaign, but that is understandable when in a side fixed in the relegation battle. Whether the player would trade one relegation-threatened team for one less threatened but still thereabouts it a different matter. Nevertheless, if the King Power club could offer £20m and secure the signing we could have a decent set up for the foreseeable future.