Leeds United have a rich history of bringing talented young prospects through their academy system over the years; including the likes of David Seaman, James Milner, and the late Gary Speed.
The Whites also have a number of graduates from their youth side who are currently competing in Daniel Farke's first-team squad during the 2023/24 campaign.
Sam Byram, Crysencio Summerville, and Pascal Struijk are just three of the former academy players who are now stars for the team in the Championship.
Leeds current most-valuable former academy players:
Kalvin Phillips
£27.5m
Pascal Struijk
£15.4m
Crysencio Summerville
£12.8m
Jack Clarke
£10.3m
Lewis Cook
£8.5m
Two of those three players are in the table above as some of the most valuable players to come through the youth set-up but Farke may wish that he had another one of the gems on that list – Jack Clarke.
The ex-Leeds talent would have been a dream for the German head coach and a better option than Wilfried Gnonto as he has gone on to prove himself to be an exceptional talent at this level.
How much did Leeds sell Jack Clarke for?
Former Whites sporting director Victor Orta, unfortunately, cashed in on the young gem in the summer of 2019 as Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur swooped in to sign him for an initial fee of £8.5m.
That move came after the teenage winger had scored two goals and provided two assists in 22 Championship matches for Marcelo Bielsa throughout the 2018/19 campaign, which was his breakthrough year at senior level.
However, the English forward failed to make an impact in north London as he only made four first-team appearances for Spurs before his move to Sunderland, initially on loan, in January 2022.
How many goals has Clarke scored for Sunderland?
Clarke has racked up 17 goals in 79 senior matches for the Black Cats in all competitions over the last 18 months or so, and has established himself as a start for Tony Mowbray's side.
He played a role in their promotion to the Championship during the second half of the 2021/22 campaign as the exciting winger scored one goal and provided three assists in 20 League One outings during his loan spell from Tottenham.
Sunderland then opted to sign him on a permanent basis from the Premier League club in the summer of 2022 and he has gone on to prove himself at Championship level with some outstanding performances.
The Black Cats made the play-offs during the 2022/23 season and Clarke played a significant part in their success as he delivered goals and assists from out wide.
He produced nine goals and 12 assists across 47 appearances for the club on the left flank, which showcased his ability to make a big impact in the final third on a regular basis.
Only Ross Stewart (ten) and Amad Diallo (14) scored more goals for Sunderland than Clarke, and no other player for his side managed more than seven assists. This shows that he was the outstanding creative threat for Mowbray last term and one of the manager's most lethal scorers.
How many goals has Clarke scored this season?
The 22-year-old wizard has enjoyed a phenomenal start to the 2023/24 campaign with sevengoals in nine Championship matches for the Black Cats.
He is the current top scorer in the division and is showing off his ability to be a consistent threat at the top end of the pitch when it comes to scoring goals, as well as creating them.
Clarke has averaged a fantastic Sofascore rating of 7.83 across those eight games and caught the eye with 2.3 key passes per game and three 'big chances' created in total.
Only Norwich City's Gabriel Sara (8.05) and Leicester City's Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (7.88) have averaged higher Sofascore ratings within the division, which shows that the Sunderland star has been one of the best performers in the Championship so far this season.
Clarke, whose dribbling ability was hailed as "effortless" by former Leeds forward Noel Whelan, is also exceptional at carrying his team up the pitch.
Over the last 365 days, the young whiz ranks within the top 3% of players among the Men's Next 14 Competitions for progressive carries per 90 (5.55), which shows that he is outstanding at driving forward with the ball to get closer to the opposition's goal.
His performances for Sunderland in the Championship over the last 12 months or so suggest that he would be a far better option than current Leeds left winger Gnonto for Farke.
How many goals has Gnonto scored this season?
The Italy international has scored one goal in five league appearances for Leeds so far this season for the German head coach and is yet to prove himself to be a reliable scorer at this level.
Gnonto has also failed to create a single 'big chance' for his teammates and has made 0.6 key passes per game for the Whites, as per Sofascore, which is a tally that ten other players within the squad have beaten thus far.
The 19-year-old whiz has averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.90, which is the 17th-highest score at the club, and this comes off the back of his debut campaign in English football last term.
He scored two goals and assisted four in 24 Premier League outings for Leeds throughout the 2022/23 campaign as they were relegated to the Championship.
These statistics suggest that Gnonto is not a better option than Clarke for several reasons. The English ace, based on the current evidence that is available, offers a greater goal threat, provides more creativity for the team, and has a higher average performance level on the left wing.
This indicates that Leeds' team would have improved considerably at the top end of the pitch if they had Clarke available for selection instead of the Italian teen.
Therefore, the current Sunderland star would have been a dream for Farke with his dynamic and lethal attacking displays down the left flank, as he has proven himself to be an upgrade on Gnonto.
Orta raked in a significant fee for the teenager in 2019, of £8.5m, but it is a shame that the Whites were never able to see the best of his abilities at Elland Road, as he has gone on to be a star on Wearside.
