Jack Clarke’s new price tag now revealed after Sunderland contract talks collapse

It seems improbable that Jack Clarke will remain at Sunderland for the summer.

 

Burnley has made many approaches for Jack Clarke, who has been strongly

linked to leaving Wearside since the beginning of the season.

The winger has improved even more this season; in the weekend’s loss to Birmingham City, he scored his 18th goal of the year.

 

In January, Clarke was also connected to West Ham, Crystal Palace, and Brighton; however, two bids for his signature were rejected by Lazio.

 

The Sunderland Echo has now stated that negotiations are “dead in the water,”

despite the fact that Sunderland has been trying to prolong his time at the Stadium of Light.

In a recent statement regarding Clarke’s future, Ian Harte, his agent, stated: “The player has just obviously got to focus on what he’s doing at the moment, which is [playing] fantastically well, scoring goals and receiving assists.” However, Jack will most likely move this summer. We’re not sure where it is yet, but he’s in a nice place.

 

It appears that Harte will finally get his wish, as the Black Cats are anticipated to demand around £17 million in exchange

for losing their top player this summer. The 23-year-old may command a higher

fee, according to the report, if he is in high demand.

Having previously signed striker Ross Stewart in September, it is thought that

Southampton is the team that has expressed the greatest interest in Clarke.

 

The Saints were reportedly pondering a £15 million bid for the attacker, the same

amount that Lazio rejected just one month prior, according to journalist Alan Nixon’s earlier reports.

How much will we get for Jack Clarke?

I don’t think many Sunderland fans were expecting Jack Clarke to stay this summer, though perhaps it would have been more likely without Michael Beale in the hot seat.

The former Tottenham Hotspur man is Premier League quality and so it is no surprise that he will leave, however £17m does seem rather low for a player of his importance.

The demand for his talents should push up the price, but if we run our firm well, I’d like to think we can make about £25 million.

 

It will be difficult to use that money to replace him since we lack the leverage to

recruit a player who is on par with Clarke and persuade him to sign with

(perhaps) a mid-table Championship team.