Ipswich Town man surely set for fresh exit - Charlton, West Brom & Leicester must be all over it | OneFootball

Harry Clarke looks set to leave Ipswich Town on a permanent basis this summer after three-and-a-half years with the club.

Ipswich Town are pushing for an immediate return to the Premier League, which means planning for the summer window is quite difficult for the recruitment team right now.

Of course, this is where the Tractor Boys want to be, as opposed to languishing in mid-table, but the uncertainty means the recruitment team will have to draw up plans for both scenarios.

We all know the financial impact of promotion, and it will drastically change what they can do in the market, which has a knock-on effect in terms of who they want to keep or replace.

Harry Clarke is likely to leave Ipswich Town this summer

However, there are a few players who look set to depart regardless of what division Ipswich are in, and full-back Harry Clarke falls into that category.

The 25-year-old joined Ipswich in January 2023, and his no-nonsense style made him a firm favourite with supporters as they went from League One to the Premier League.

But, he found opportunities hard to come by in the top flight, and Clarke remained down the pecking order after Ipswich’s relegation, which is why he joined Charlton in January on loan.

Clarke’s contract is expiring in the summer, but Ipswich have a 12-month option which they are sure to trigger to protect his value. Nevertheless, an exit seems inevitable, and here we look at THREE Championship clubs who must try and sign the defender…

Charlton Athletic

We’ll start with the obvious one. Clarke has featured regularly for Nathan Jones’ side since he arrived at The Valley, and he has played a big role in ensuring they head into the final seven games nine points above the relegation zone.

Clarke appears to be enjoying his football with the Addicks, so that will put them in a strong position when it comes to trying to sign him permanently.

As well as that, he has qualities that Jones likes, as Clarke is not only a good player, but he is a big personality on the pitch, and he fights for every ball.

So, it looks like a good fit, and it’s something you would expect Charlton to explore in the summer, although their major issue may be that they don’t have a free run at Clarke.

West Brom

Right-back has been a problem position for Albion all season, with Alfie Gilchrist not living up to expectations since signing for the Baggies.

Danny Imray has improved after a slow start, but he is only on loan, so you’d expect Albion to be in the market for someone this summer, and Clarke will appeal given he has won promotion at this level and should be available for a decent fee.

It’s difficult to predict what will happen at The Hawthorns as James Morrison is only an interim head coach, so some major decisions need to be made.

All connected to West Brom will hope to sort the managerial situation quickly, and then they will need to address the squad, as it’s weak in certain areas, and Clarke could solve a problem for the Midlands outfit.

Leicester City

The Foxes are set for a massive summer, even if their only concern right now is staying in the Championship.

Providing they do, changes need to be made to the squad, which will include shifting many of the high earners.

Ricardo Pereira is one of those, and he is certain to depart, with the ex-Porto man out of contract in the summer, so Leicester will be in the market for a right-back, but they will be working within a strict budget.