West Ham told it is ‘inevitable’ £20m target will leave Sunderland but Everton, Wolves and five others pose threat
Sunderland duo Jobe Bellingham and Jack Clarke
Sunderland winger Jack Clarke is a player in demand this month and a fresh report has claimed it is ‘inevitable’ he will leave for a Premier League club.
The 23-year-old has been in excellent form since his move to the Stadium of Light from Tottenham Hotspur in January of 2022.
Clarke has quickly become one of Sunderland’s most important players. He has made 98 appearances to date for the Black Cats, netting an impressive 24 goals and making 20 assists in the process.
As exclusively revealed by TEAMtalk, West Ham are interested in signing the talented winger this month, but they will face competition for his signature.
In an interview with Football League World, Carlton Palmer said that Everton, Wolves, Crystal Palace, Bournemouth and Burnley are interested in the Premier League, while Championship promotion chasers Leicester and Southampton are also keen to sign Clarke.
Sunderland are extremely reluctant to let Clarke leave this month, but would reportedly find it very difficult to turn down an offer in the region of £20m.
‘Huge offer’ required to sign Clarke this month
In his interview with Football League World, Palmer said he fully expects Clarke to join a Premier League club, but they may have to wait until the summer to sign him.
“Southampton and Leicester have joined the race to sign Sunderland’s Jack Clarke,” said Palmer.
“The 23-year-old had a fantastic 22/23 season, and he’s playing even better in this current campaign. The talented winger has scored 12 goals so far, Sunderland’s leading goal scorer.
“If Sunderland were to sell in January it would take a bid in excess of £20million, which Southampton and Leicester would be capable of paying.
“But it just would not make sense for Jack to move to another Championship club in January when the likes of West Ham, Burnley, Crystal Palace, Wolves, Everton and Bournemouth are all keen to acquire his services.
“I think it’s inevitable that Jack will move on from Sunderland to a Premier League club, but I think this is more than likely to happen in the summer.
“Jack has two-and-a-half years left on his contract, Sunderland are in the driving seat and Jack is happy and playing well. So the only thing that changes is a huge offer received by Sunderland.”
