Crystal Palace and Brighton & Hove Albion have reportedly joined Burnley in the race to sign Sunderland winger Jack Clarke during the January transfer window.
The 22-year-old enjoyed a stellar campaign for the Black Cats after joining from Tottenham Hotspur for £1m in the summer of 2022, scoring nine times and providing 11 assists as the North-East giants secured a top-six finish.
Having made the net ripple seven times in 11 Championship so far this term, Clarke is currently leading the division’s Golden Boot race and won the second tier’s Player of the Month award for September.
Tony Mowbray’s side occupy fourth position in the Championship heading into the next batch of fixtures following the international break, however they are only four points ahead of 15th-placed Millwall, showcasing the competitiveness of the league at this early stage.
According to TEAMtalk, Burnley have seen their attempts to secure the services of Clarke become even harder in recent weeks, with another pair of Premier League clubs joining the race for the player.
The report claims that top-flight duo Brighton and Crystal Palace have been monitoring the winger’s progress in the Championship since last season and are both ready to launch a bid for the former Spurs man in January.
It is also understood that Bournemouth and Wolverhampton Wanderers are keen on one of the second-tier’s hottest prospects, who has enjoyed a goal-laden spell at the Stadium of Light so far.
Reports towards the latter stages of the summer stated that Vincent Kompany’s Clarets had seen a £10m bid for Clarke rejected by the Black Cats.
It was believed that the North-East club previously valued the 23-year-old at £15m and were comfortable with holding onto the player considering his current deal expires in the summer of 2026.
With Clarke continuing to impress in the opening months of the 2023-24 campaign, it is said that Sunderland have bumped up their asking price for the former England youth international to £20m.
It remains to be seen whether a bidding war can be sparked in the New Year between the host of clubs interested in the player, however it is understood that his Premier League suitors are prepared to open the negotiations at £15m.
Sunderland are keen to earn as much as possible from the potential sale of Clarke, especially considering that former club Spurs could have a sell-on clause as high as 50%.
Burnley have struggled for goals so far on their return to the top flight, scoring just seven times in their opening eight league matches, with three of those strikes coming from Lyle Foster.
The Clarets have the chance to record their second win of the 2023-24 league campaign on Saturday afternoon when they travel to Brentford – a club also credited with an interest in Clarke.
