West Ham want to sign another forward and Sunderland winger Jack Clarke is

among the names at the top of their shortlist following his eye-catching performances in the Championship

West Ham is prepared to increase their offer for Sunderland winger Jack Clarke, who is valued at £20 million.

 

After midweekly selling midfielder Conor Coventry to Charlton Athletic for an

undisclosed price, the Hammers are under more pressure to recruit a homegrown player this month.

At the beginning of the season, Coventry was one of eight homegrown players in David Moyes’ 24-man Premier League

roster. With his departure, it is likely that Danny Ings and Ben Johnson will not be

able to leave the club before the transfer window ends.

Ings’ loan deal has drawn attention from Wolves and Crystal Palace, while Leeds is

a fan of Johnson, whose contract expires at the end of the current campaign.

Since Tottenham has a 25 percent sell-on clause for Clarke, Sunderland will

probably have to pay a premium for the highly-regarded forward, who is still essential to their chances of promotion.

 

Burnley made four attempts to sign the 23-year-old last summer, but the Black

Cats turned them down. The Clarets are still interested in him. Although

Sunderland has not yet received any offers for Clarke this month, it is thought

that other Premier League clubs are also present at the table.

He has scored 12 goals in 26 Championship appearances to date this season.

Regarding his player’s future, Sunderland manager Michael Beale

recently stated: “There is going to be speculation when you are doing what he

is doing at the top end of the Championship every week.” That’s what I

want for my players—I want them to succeed.

 

“I wouldn’t be lying if I said they would be welcome, but I haven’t heard of any inquiries coming straight to the club for

him. Jack is welcome to play for a formidable Sunderland squad and learn

about our goals for the next campaign. He has greatly impressed me.

Ajax captain Steven Bergwijn is still a target for West Ham, even if the Dutch

powerhouse would probably demand a higher price for the former Spurs player.

The Irons have had a terrible few weeks due to injuries, and they are now

intensifying their hunt for offensive reinforcements.

Jarrod Bowen’s ankle problem is expected to keep him out of action for

the next two games, and Lucas Paqueta’s calf problem could keep him out for a

long time. The fact that Michail Antonio hurt his knee soon after coming back

from a protracted absence emphasizes the need for additional firepower.

Although the club has long admired Santiago

Gimenez, another player being

watched is Vangelis Pavlidis of AZ Alkmaar. Despite his great goal scoring

record in Holland, the Feyenoord forward is not anticipated to leave the

Eredivisie winners this month, and his departure would come at a high cost.