Transfer Report: Burnley join transfer race to sign highly rated £20m Sunderland attacker this January
Burnley have joined Sheffield United in showing an interest in signing Jack Clarke from Sunderland in January, but a deal worth at least £20 million would be required for Sunderland to consider selling.
Clarke is a key player for Sunderland and losing him mid-season would hurt their chances of promotion. Despite the interest from Premier League clubs, Clarke still has more than two years left on his contract and Sunderland has no immediate need to sell him.
According to HITC, the Clarets are eyeing a move for the winger as they look to avoid relegation from the Premier League.
Clarke has been the subject of intense transfer speculation for the last several months, with his future at the Stadium of Light also in doubt during the summer transfer window last year. However, despite interest from top flight clubs like Burnley and Brentford, the 23-year-old remained with the Championship side.
But now it remains to be seen whether he will commit his future to Sunderland beyond the winter market. Burnley remain interested in signing the Sunderland forward, who is the team’s top scorer so far this season.
The ex-Tottenham player has bagged 12 goals, with Michael Beale’s side aiming to compete for a top six finish in the second division.
Clarke has a contract with the club until the summer of 2026, meaning there is no immediate need for the club to cash in on the interest surrounding him.
However, it is believed that a deal worth around £20 million could be enough to convince Sunderland to sell this month. Sheffield United and Burnley are both aiming for a deal closer to £15 million, with both teams looking to add extra firepower to their attack in a bid to survive in the Premier League.
Sunderland will owe 30 per cent of any sale for Clarke to Spurs as part of a sell-on clause agreement that they negotiated when they signed the forward in the summer of 2021.
Clarke is such a key player to Sunderland that losing him mid-season would be a real blow to their promotion chances.
