Sheffield United dubbed 'ambitious' over shock Ipswich Town transfer interest - "I don't think it’s very likely" | OneFootball

FLW's Blades Fan Pundit has revealed his thoughts on the potential January move for Jack Clarke

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

The prospect of Sheffield United signing Ipswich Town’s Jack Clarke in January has been labelled as not "likely", but is said to be a promising step forward for Chris Wilder’s future transfers.

As per The Star’s Danny Hall, the Blades have enquired about the availability of Clarke as they look to bolster their attacking options once the transfer window opens next month.

Clarke arrived at Portman Road in 2024 for a reported fee of £15m plus another £5m in add-ons from Sunderland, so you’d expect a loan switch for the 25-year-old wouldn’t make too much sense.

According to the aforementioned report, United are searching for a replacement following the effective end of Louie Barry's temporary spell. So, FLW spoke with Jimmy from Blades Ramble, our Sheffield United Fan Pundit, for his verdict on the apparent interest.

Jack Clarke signing for Sheffield United from Ipswich Town labelled "very ambitious"

Jimmy claims Sheffield United's supposed interest in Clarke reflects exactly the type of ambition and intent the South Yorkshire club should be showing in January.

"I do think it’s very ambitious, but I can't think it’s too ambitious as a Sheffield United fan," Jimmy told FLW when discussing the potential move.

"I think at the moment we are rightly in the position that we’re in due to the terrible start that we had, but after the turn around in recent weeks, we are a good side that are lower down the league."

With five wins out of their last seven league games, Wilder has finally managed to steady what was a sinking ship, and with a continued good run of form, the Championship's top six may soon be on the horizon.

United's fan pundit then reiterated that the Clarke links are what every Blades fan wants to see heading into January, but he doesn't think this exact deal will happen.

"So yeah, it’s an ambitious one and I don't think it’s a very likely one if I’m honest," Jimmy said.

In all fairness, The Star did mention that the Tractor Boy is just one name on United's shortlist - but it is a promising development.

So far this Championship season, Clarke has made a more than decent contribution to Kieran McKenna's side, contributing to eight goals - seven scored and one assist - in 22 appearances.

However, the winger has largely featured in a rotational capacity rather than as an established first-team regular. Of these 22 games, Clarke has only been in the starting 11 nine times.

The Jack Clarke, Sheffield United links are "much more like it" in terms of Blades' ambitions

Despite seemingly accepting the unlikelihood of completing the Clarke deal, Jimmy was emphatic about the message it sends about the club's understanding of what's required to compete for promotion.

"If that is the type of player that we are targeting, then it’s much more like it in terms of what we would’ve been expecting to be going for in the summer, and players of that ilk and that quality," Jimmy continued.

"We want to be challenging at the top of the league and not struggling down at the bottom."

In another report from The Star, Wilder and his recruitment staff have apparently already identified around four players they could potentially sign in January.

Although it's obviously unclear whether Clarke is one of those four, you can strongly assume none have been identified through the data-driven approach which was used in the summer, as hinted at by Jimmy.

Ultimately, the verdict is one that welcomes this shift in mentality in regard to transfers, which is what Wilder also wants.

Even with their strong recent form, it remains highly questionable whether Blades can actually persuade Ipswich to sell Clarke in January, but it is a good indication for what January could look like at Bramall Lane, if COH Sports are going to show some extreme ambition.