Sunderland have secured a place in the Championship play-offs with a chance of returning to the Premier League next season, however, Tony Mowbray could be heading for a disaster in the transfer market already.
What’s the latest on Jack Clarke’s future at Sunderland?
According to TEAMtalk, Sunderland are currently working on a new deal for Jack Clarke, amid interest from Premier League clubs following his fantastic form in the second tier this season.
As per the report, Crystal Palace and Brentford have expressed an interest in snapping up the young winger’s signature this summer but the Black Cats are attempting to convince him to stay by putting together a new deal to secure his future at the Stadium of Light.
Why do Sunderland need to keep Jack Clarke?
Sunderland could be set for back-to-back promotions if they can win the Championship play-offs in the coming weeks, which would be a monumental achievement for the Wearside club.
Mowbray’s managerial expertise combined with a squad full of promising talent has put the Black Cats in a fantastic position to achieve their dreams of returning to the Premier League for the first time since 2017, and should they prove victorious, it will be important to keep together as much of the squad as possible.
Whilst it may be tempting for the club to cash in on some of their hottest prospects this summer in order to raise precious funds, it could be incredibly detrimental to their chances of either retaining their Premier League status or competing again for promotion next season if unsuccessful.
As a result, there is no doubt that the Sunderland hierarchy must do everything they can to hold on to Clarke ahead of next season, even if a big fee is forthcoming, as the Black Cats talisman has been a key contributor throughout their impressive campaign.
Over 45 Championship appearances, the £15k-per-week star has scored nine goals, registered a whopping 11 assists and created seven big chances, as well as averaging 1.4 shots on goal, 1.7 key passes, two successful dribbles and 5.9 duels won per game, proving that he is an incredible attacking threat.
In fact, the 22-year-old has the highest number of assists in the entire second tier this season, which is a testament to his unrivalled involvement in securing Sunderland a huge opportunity to return to the top flight.
As a result, losing him this summer, irrespective of the division Mowbary and co find themselves in, would be somewhat of a disaster.
Indeed, despite struggling to make an impact at his former club, Tottenham Hotspur, Clarke is finally firmly in the spotlight with huge praise from journalist Josh Bunting for his form this season:
“Clarke unplayable and that’s the games I love – with him just driving at the opposition defence, he’s a handful with his balance.”
With that being said, if Sunderland can secure promotion to the Premier League it will put the club in a greater position to retain Clarke’s services.
