



According to news item in the print edition of The Daily Telegraph, England youth International John Bostock is joining the San Jose Earthquakes on loan from Tottenham Hotspur for the 2012 Major League Soccer season. The 19 year old attacking midfielder would follow in the footsteps of fellow Spurs reserve player Simon Dawkins, who featured for the Quakes in the 2011 season, in making a move to MLS as a way to gain match experience.

Following a mid-December trip to North London to meet with Tottenham officials, Earthquakes head coach Frank Yallop confirmed that the team was close to securing Dawkins for at least another season in San Jose. Yallop also stated in that interview that the Quakes were close to securing another Spurs player on loan, but he would not divulge the identity of his intended target.

The San Jose Earthquakes confirmed that they were in talks with Tottenham to secure the services of Bostock on loan for the 2012 season, but they stated that there was not an agreement in place and negotiations were still ongoing. Dawkins is also in negotiations to return to San Jose, but those talks were still ongoing. Prior to the 2011 season, an agreement to bring Dawkins to the Earthquakes on loan was initiated in early February, but was not completed until the day before the start of the regular season. With the MLS transfer window opening on January 21st, the Quakes and Spurs still have a few weeks to come to an agreement on both players that still allows time for them to participate in San Jose's preseason camp that begins a week earlier.

Bostock made headlines in England back in 2008 when he moved from Crystal Palace to Tottenham Hotspur in a hotly contested transfer for £700,000. The former captain of the England U-17s made his professional debut at 15 years of age while at Palace, but has not featured beyond the Reserve side for Tottenham since arriving at Spurs Lodge. Bostock has had two rather unspectacular loan spells in the last two years, most recently with Championship side Hull City, and will look to his loan with the Earthquakes as a chance to get his career back on track.

(Thanks to @WindyCOYS for the tip)