Sunderland still have several players attracting outside interest this summer.
Going into the summer transfer window, it looked as though Sunderland were in store for a bit of a clear-out.
The Black Cats have several players in their first-team squad who’ve had links to the Premier League or other top tiers, including Anthony Patterson, Dan Ballard, Trai Hume, Dan Neil, Jobe Bellingham, and Jack Clarke.
Clarke is the one who was most expected to leave this summer. But he remains at the Stadium of Light, and he’s already up and running in the Championship.
During the opening day win vs Cardiff City, Clarke scored the second goal in a 2-0 win.
Clarke has Premier League interest and has done for some time now with the likes of Crystal Palace, Southampton, and Wolves all credited with an interest this summer.
There’s also been uncertainty surrounding Clarke’s price tag at Sunderland, with some reports claiming it’s as low as £18million, and others pushing it towards the £30million mark.
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Sunderland open to selling Jack Clarke, but it will take ‘huge money’
Journalist Michael Graham has now clarified the situation surrounding Clarke at Sunderland.
There’s ongoing speculation on social media surrounding his future on Wearside, with false rumours that Clarke had signed a new two-year deal which were quickly played down.
Graham says that Sunderland still want to keep Clarke and that the club are ‘under no pressure at all to sell him’ right now.
But Graham adds that; ‘if a club decides to offer huge money’ for Clarke, then the Black Cats will probably sell.
Kristjaan Speakman is running a risky game at Sunderland this summer
Sunderland seemingly have a lot of transfer matters on their plate right now.
There’s the delicate matter of outgoings to manage, as well as the ongoing need for a new striker.
Sunderland are still keen on Alexandre Mendy but the Caen man appears to be out of the Black Cats’ price range right now.
Selling a player could give the Sunderland owners the money needed to bring in Mendy and put an end to the saga.
But selling a player opens up another void in the side, and selling someone like Clarke will open up a huge void.
It’s going to be a balancing act for Kristjaan Speakman in the final two weeks of the window, and Sunderland’s potential transfer matters could once again go down to the wire.