Jack Clarke, a West Ham target, is expected to leave Sunderland this summer if Michael Beale’s side fails to secure promotion to the Premier League, according to insiders.
Football Insider reported on Saturday (13 January) that the Irons and Brentford are unlikely to reach the 23-year-old’s valuation during the January transfer window.
Sunderland, on the other hand, are expected to demand a £20 million sum to offload the ex-Tottenham Hotspur player this month.
Clarke, who was also coveted by Burnley last summer, has been in excellent form for Sunderland thus far in the 2023-24 season.
If his current form continues, Premier League clubs are expected to show a lot of interest in him during the off-season, when a move is more plausible.
A reliable source has told Football Insider that Sunderland will struggle to keep Clarke if they are not promoted.
The England Under-20 international’s goals are critical to a prospective promotion drive, which will most likely take place through the play-offs.
Clarke has scored 12 goals in the Championship this season.
The winger, who signed a permanent agreement with Sunderland in 2022, is under contract at the Stadium of Light until June 2026.
He now has 24 goals and 20 assists in 98 games in all competitions for the club.
The York-born ace began his career at Leeds and made only four professional appearances for Tottenham after signing for the Premier League club when he was 18 years old.
After 26 games, Beale’s side sits sixth in the Championship table and is hoping to make the play-offs for the second time this season.
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