Clarke appears to be the focus of a lot of attention this summer.
Sunderland winger Jack Clarke appears to be attracting a lot of attention by the time the January transfer window opens.
That’s after a report from TEAMTalk claimed that Brighton and Crystal Palace have joined four other Premier League clubs in taking an interest in the 22-year-old.
How has Clarke fared since joining Sunderland?
Clarke joined Sunderland on loan from Tottenham in January 2022, and in his first few months at The Stadium of Light, he helped the team gain promotion from League One.
He then made the transfer permanent in the summer of 2022, and has since established himself as one of the Championship’s most dangerous and effective wingers.
Clarke has now scored 19 goals and given 16 assists in 82 games for the Black Cats in all competitions, helping them to the second-tier play-offs last season.
As a result, there has been no shortage of speculation around his future in recent months, given the potential he is starting to show with Sunderland.
As the calendar approaches January, it appears like the list of prospective suitors for Clarke is growing even longer.
Who could try to sign Clarke in the January transfer window?
According to the most recent update, Crystal Palace and Brighton have been keeping a close eye on the winger this season and want to increase their interest at the turn of the year.
Meanwhile, after having numerous bids for Clarke rejected in the summer, Burnley are still thought to be interested.
Bournemouth, Brentford, and Wolves are also reportedly interested in the 22-year-old, but are regarded to be less likely to make a deal at this time.
Sunderland is expected to want roughly £20 million for Clarke, with Premier League clubs reportedly ready to make initial bids of around £15 million.
Tottenham could be entitled to up to 50% of the sum Sunderland receives for Clarke as part of the deal that brought him to The Stadium of Light.
Clarke’s current Sunderland contract does not expire until the summer of 2026, putting the club in a strong position to respond to any offers for the winger.
Where are Sunderland in the Championship?
Sunderland have made a strong start to the Championship season, with Clarke playing a crucial role with goals and assists.
The Black Cats are now fourth in the second-tier table, nine points behind the automatic promotion spots.
Could Sunderland sell Clarke in January?
If Sunderland let Clarke go in January, it would come as something of a surprise.
Given his contract situation at The Stadium of Light, there is no financial pressure on the club to cash in on him at the end of the season.
As a result, given they look to be in with a chance of promotion this season, it would make little sense to sell a player who is as important as Clarke at the midway stage of the campaign, when there is no need to.
With that in mind, you get the feeling these Premier League sides could be rather frustrated with their pursuit of Clarke come the January window.
Leave a Reply