Sunderland are eager to tie Jack Clarke down to a new contract.
That’s according to the Sunderland Echo, who have reported that the Black Cats will make a huge effort to ward off interest from the Premier League.
After an up-and-down loan spell in League One, Jack Clarke made his stay on Wearside permanent last summer and became the club’s highest earner.
The ‘unplayable’ winger has come on leaps and bounds since leaving Tottenham Hotspur, bagging nine goals and 12 assists last season before enjoying a stellar start to the current campaign.
After netting eight goals in 13 matches this time round, Clarke has received a lot of interest from clubs such as Burnley, Crystal Palace and Brentford.
The Clarets had already seen bids of around £10 million turned down by Sunderland in the summer, though they are expected to face higher offers if he can keep up this brilliant form.
While it was expected that Sunderland would struggle to resist temptation of accepting a eight-figure fee, the Echo have now claimed they will instead look to offer him fresh terms in a bid to keep him at the Stadium of Light.
Clarke has also admitted that he really wants to win promotion with Sunderland this season, while his future at the club could hinge on their position in the English football ladder.
Could Sunderland cope without Jack Clarke?
Jack Clarke is the main man at Sunderland at the minute and it is really hard to see us achieving promotion without him.
We would be in huge trouble if he was to leave in the January transfer window, while it would still be hard to replace such a player in the summer too.
I wouldn’t have been surprised if the Black Cats had chosen to cash in at the end of the season, though the news that we are eager to offer him a new deal is music to my ears.
If Sunderland can (finally) get that prolific goalscorer up top over the next two windows and we can also keep hold of Patrick Roberts, then surely our time in the Premier League will come sooner rather than later.