Report reveals star "most likely" to leave Sunderland this summer | OneFootball

It's believed that Jack Clarke may be the vital first-teamer that's mostly likely to depart the club during this window.

Jack Clarke is the star that's most likely to leave Sunderland this summer, according to a report from the Sunderland Echo.

The winger has been nothing short of exceptional during his time at the Stadium of Light, contributing to the Black Cats' promotion to the Championship as a loanee before joining permanently.

After joining the club permanently in 2022, the player has been able to take his game to a new level, becoming one of the most formidable attacking players in the division and playing a big part in plenty of the Wearside club's positive results over the past couple of years.

It's no surprise that he has attracted plenty of interest in recent times, with Southampton thought to be keen on the player.

West Ham are also in the mix for the player, along with Crystal Palace and Wolves, with Palace managing to use the Championship market to their advantage on numerous occasions in the past.

The player's contract expires in 2026 and with this in mind, the current window may be the best opportunity for the Black Cats to secure a big fee for the 23-year-old, who looks destined to end up in the Premier League sooner rather than later.

And Clarke's agent Ian Harte believes it's unlikely that the player will put pen to paper on fresh terms, which could force the Wearside club's hand this summer.

There are plenty of players at the Stadium of Light who could attract interest this summer.

Anthony Patterson is one of those, having impressed between the sticks in recent years, and the likes of Daniel Ballard and Trai Hume have also done well.

Dan Neil is another promising player and Pierre Ekwah was linked with a move to the top flight not too long ago. Jobe Bellingham, meanwhile, is thought to be on Palace's radar.

But it's Clarke who's believed to be the player that's most likely to leave this summer, according to the Sunderland Echo, with the player and the club yet to reach a breakthrough in contract talks.

Sunderland's hierarchy have a big decision to make on Jack Clarke

The winger has been vital in recent seasons, so it would be extremely painful for the club if they were to lose him this summer.

As well as this, the player still has two years left on his contract, so they could probably sell him during the next window or next summer for a decent fee if they want to.

However, it would be a risk to let his contract run down that much and with Harte's contract comments in mind, this summer may be the right decision to sell him.

Selling him wouldn't be ideal considering how important he is, as well as the fact the Black Cats haven't had the most productive start to the summer and probably aren't fully prepared to lose their best player.

However, a sale has to be considered in the coming weeks and the club will have big decisions to make if bids come in for him this summer.