Sheffield United transfer for Ipswich Town star makes complete sense - it's not Jack Clarke | OneFootball

Sheffield United may find themselves looking to Ipswich Town to bring in Harry Clarke on loan once again

Sheffield United began their pre-January plans rather ambitiously, as they declared their interest in Ipswich Town winger Jack Clarke.

The former Sunderland man has been one of the second tier's premier wide men over the past few seasons, and after being in and out of the starting eleven due to competition with Jaden Philogene at Portman Road, the Blades tested the waters with an enquiry.

Understandably, Kieran McKenna laughed off the interest from their divisional rivals for the man they spent £15 million on in August 2024, stating there was "no chance" that a move would be made.

However, there's an expectation that Jack's namesake, Harry Clarke, could be making that switch from Portman Road to Bramall Lane this January, marking the second successive winter window that the Blades have been in for the 24-year-old.

And after the right-back was unable to make much of an impact with Sheffield United last season due to injury, and has made even less of one so far this season with Ipswich, it's a move that makes sense for both parties.

Harry Clarke needs a fresh start after a tough 2025

Clarke was a key feature at the start of Ipswich's rise to the top flight, making his return to the club he grew up at from Arsenal midway through their 2022/23 League One campaign.

He'd been a regular in the Stoke City side in the Championship during the first half of the season, and was an example of the many second-tier-ready players that McKenna attracted to the club while Ipswich were in League One.

The Tractor Boys were dominant in the third tier and then secured back-to-back promotions the following campaign. Now, in the Premier League, a major overhaul needed to be made, and Clarke was left by the wayside.

After making seven appearances in the Premier League and being in and out of the squad, the right-back was allowed to leave on loan to Sheffield United in January 2025. There, he had aspirations of a second successive Championship promotion.

Clarke started the first five games of his loan spell, four of which were wins, and was withdrawn at half-time in the fifth against Leeds United with Chris Wilder's side a goal to the good, in a game which they'd end up losing 3-1.

That substitution was due to a foot injury, which kept him out for eight league games. On his return to the side at Plymouth Argyle, he aggravated that injury and was sent back to Ipswich, not playing a part in the Blades' play-off campaign.

This season, the 24-year-old would have had hopes of re-establishing himself in the Ipswich fold, but a knee injury during pre-season, paired with the summer arrivals of Darnell Furlong and Ashley Young, has meant that the former promotion-winner has been surplus to requirements, and hasn't even made a matchday squad in the Championship this season.

With just six senior appearances in 2025, Clarke needs a new change of scenery — or perhaps a return to a side he couldn't get going with last year.

Sheffield United need right-back reinforcement — Harry Clarke makes perfect sense

With Jamie Shackleton injured and 18-year-old Mihail Polendakov not preferred by Chris Wilder, the Blades boss has had to rely on Femi Seriki almost exclusively to play on the right side of the defence since the popular manager made his return for a third stint.

It's been reported in the weeks leading up to the January window opening that right-back is a priority position for Sheffield United this month, not only to add depth to the role, but also to challenge Seriki and add some competition.

Last year, the same rang true, and Wilder turned to Clarke. For the first month of his loan spell, it couldn't have gone better, and there'll be some hopes in the Bramall Lane camp that the same could be replicated as the Blades aim to climb into the top six by May.

There'll also be some concerns regarding fitness and his past injury issues, plus the fact that he hasn't played a senior game since his final bow for the South Yorkshire side last April, but if Wilder trusted him last January, there's nothing to say that he won't again this month.