Ipswich Town lining up big-money transfer move for Sunderland player | OneFootball

Ipswich Town are preparing a bid in the region of £18m for Sunderland's Jack Clarke.

Highlights

Ipswich Town are prepared to offer around £18m for Sunderland’s Jack Clarke as they look to strengthen Kieran McKenna’s squad ahead of their Premier League return.

The Tractor Boys have been big spenders in the window so far, with Jacob Greaves and Liam Delap among the new recruits at Portman Road.

Ipswich Town to make £18m offer for Jack Clarke

However, they were beaten to Hull City’s Jaden Philogene by Aston Villa, meaning they are on the lookout for a new winger, and iNews has revealed that they’re pursuing Clarke.

The update states that the Suffolk outfit are ‘preparing’ a bid for Clarke, who they value in the region of £18m, although it’s unclear whether this will be accepted by the Black Cats.

McKenna has been targeting young players with experience of English football, with Aro Muric, Ben Johnson and Omari Hutchinson the other new signings through the door.

Jack Clarke is ready for the Premier League

Ipswich’s interest in Clarke is understandable, as he has been one of the standout players in the Championship over the past few years.

Even in the previous campaign, where Sunderland struggled on the whole, Clarke was a bright spot, as he scored 15 goals and registered four assists in 40 appearances.

It’s not just the productivity in front of goal that makes him stand out though, with the ex-Leeds man a joy to watch at times with his pace and dribbling ability.

Therefore, his importance to Sunderland is obvious, and new boss Regis Le Bris would ideally want to retain Clarke and build the team around him.

But, he knows that may not be a possibility. Clarke has entered the final two years of his contract at the Stadium of Light, and it has been said that the two parties couldn’t come to an agreement over an extension.

So, there is a very real possibility that Sunderland look to cash in on Clarke, as this could be his peak value.

Tottenham to benefit from any Jack Clarke sale

Unfortunately for Sunderland, they aren’t in line for a major windfall from Clarke, as the report claims that they are due to give a hefty chunk of any sale to Tottenham.

As part of the deal that brought the attacker to Wearside, it’s said that Spurs are entitled to 40% of the fee for his next move, which usually applies to the profit.

That’s obviously far from ideal for Sunderland, and it will no doubt be a factor for the club as they try to drive Clarke’s price up, whether that’s for Ipswich or any other clubs.

Sunderland’s summer transfer plans

This has been in the pipeline for some time, with speculation surrounding Clarke’s future going on for most of this year.

That should ensure the Sunderland hierarchy are prepared for Clarke’s potential exit, in terms of lining up replacements, as you would expect a host of names are already under consideration.

Even if Spurs are entitled to a big percentage of the sale, Clarke’s departure will bring in decent funds, and that in turn should increase the budget that is available this summer, so it could be the trigger for more deals to take place.